Activation of the extrinsic caspase pathway in cultured cortical neurons requires p53-mediated down-regulation of the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein to induce apoptosis.
Cultured cortical neurons exposed to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus gp120 coat protein undergo apoptosis involving activation of both caspase-8 and caspase-9. Additionally, gp120-mediated neuronal apoptosis requires the pro-apoptotic transcription factor p53. As caspase-8-induced apoptosis does not typically require p53, we examined the possibility of a novel role for p53 in caspase-8 activation initiated by gp120. We observed that gp120 treatment of cultured cortical neurons induced caspase-8 activity and Bid cleavage independently of p53, but induction of caspase-3 enzymatic activity required p53 expression. These findings suggested the possibility that p53 down-regulates a caspase-3 inhibitor. We observed high-level expression of the caspase-3/9 inhibitor X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) in cultured cortical neurons. Adenoviral expression of p53 or induction of endogenous p53 by camptothecin treatment reduced XIAP protein in neurons. Infection with a p53 expressing adenovirus increased expression of the mRNA for Omi/HtrA2, a protease that cleaves and inactivates XIAP. These findings suggest that p53 regulates neuronal apoptosis, in part, by suppressing the anti-apoptotic protein XIAP via transcriptional activation of Omi/HtrA2.
Tun
Christina
C
Department of Neurology, The University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
Guo
Weiqun
W
Nguyen
Huy
H
Yun
Bomy
B
Libby
Randell T
RT
Morrison
Richard S
RS
Garden
Gwenn A
GA
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051636:X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051636:X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein; D020169:Caspases