title: Focal adhesion kinase and protein kinase B cooperate to suppress doxorubicin-induced apoptosis of breast tumor cells.
abstract: Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is up-regulated in a variety of cancers, including breast cancer, in association with poor disease prognosis. In the present study, we examined the role of FAK in the control of anticancer drug-induced apoptosis of mammary adenocarcinoma MTLn3 cells. Doxorubicin caused the formation of well defined focal adhesions and stress fibers early after treatment, which was later followed by their loss in association with the onset of apoptosis. Phosphorylation of FAK on tyrosine 397 decreased only during the onset of doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in a Bcl-2 and caspase-independent manner. Doxorubicin also caused an early activation of protein kinase B (PKB). Expression of the dominant-negative acting focal adhesion kinase-related nonkinase (FRNK) sensitized MTLn3 cells to apoptosis caused by doxorubicin. FRNK inhibited the doxorubicin-induced activation of PKB. In addition, inhibition of phosphatidylinositide-3 (PI-3) kinase with wortmannin inhibited the activation of PKB by doxorubicin. Both wortmannin and transient overexpression of the dual lipid/protein phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 enhanced doxorubicin-induced cell death. Altogether, these data fit with a model wherein FAK is involved in the doxorubicin-induced activation of the PI-3 kinase/PKB signaling route, thereby suppressing the onset of apoptosis caused by doxorubicin.
authors.affiliation: Division of Toxicology, LACDR, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maroesja J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: van Nimwegen
authors.forename: Merei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huigsloot
authors.forename: Annamarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Camier
authors.forename: Ine B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Tijdens
authors.forename: Bob
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van de Water
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D008954:Models, Biological; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D004317:Doxorubicin; C113183:FAK-related nonkinase; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051416:Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; D020169:Caspases