title: Regulation of the proapoptotic BH3-only protein BIM by glucocorticoids, survival signals and proteasome in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.
abstract: Glucocorticoids induce apoptosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells through a caspase-dependent mechanism. However, their mechanism of action remains unknown. We have studied the regulation of the proapoptotic BH3-only Bcl-2 interacting mediator of cell death (BIM) in CLL cells. We demonstrate that glucocorticoids upregulate BIM at protein and mRNA levels. We have investigated the ability of different survival signals, such as 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA), stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha (SDF-1alpha), interleukin 4 (IL-4) and B-cell receptor (BCR) activation, to influence the levels of BIM and its induction by glucocorticoids. TPA downregulates BIM(EL) by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-mediated BIM phosphorylation and further proteasome-mediated degradation. However, SDF-1alpha and BCR activation induce transient BIM phosphorylation, without protein degradation. Proteasome inhibitors do not modify the levels of BIM with respect to untreated cells. However, they induce apoptosis and inhibit TPA-induced BIM(EL) degradation, leading to its accumulation. In conclusion, the results implicate BIM in glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis in CLL cells. BIM(EL) phosphorylation through the ERK pathway targets the protein for proteasomal degradation.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques II, IDIBELL-Universitat de Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Iglesias-Serret
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Frias
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Santidrián
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Coll-Mulet
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cosialls
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barragán
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Domingo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pons
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000473:pathology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C000606775:BCL2L11 protein, human; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex