title: Involvement of Mst1 in tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced apoptosis of endothelial cells.
abstract: Mammalian sterile 20-kinase 1 (Mst1), a member of the sterile-20 family protein kinase, plays an important role in the induction of apoptosis. However, little is know about the physiological activator of Mst1 and the role of Mst1 in endothelial cells (ECs). We examined whether Mst1 is involved in the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-induced apoptosis of ECs. Western blot analysis revealed that TNF-alpha induced activation of caspase 3 and Mst1 in a time- and dose-dependent manner. TNF-alpha-induced Mst1 activation is almost completely prevented by pretreatment with Z-DEVD-FMK, a caspase 3 inhibitor. Nuclear staining with Hoechst 33258 and fluorescence-activated cell sorting of propidium iodide-stained cells showed that TNF-alpha induced apoptosis of EC. Diphenyleneiodonium, an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase, and N-acetylcysteine, a potent antioxidant, also inhibited TNF-alpha-induced activation of Mst1 and caspase 3, as well as apoptosis. Knockdown of Mst1 expression by short interfering RNA attenuated TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis but not cleavage of caspase 3. These results suggest that Mst1 plays an important role in the induction of TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis of EC. However, positive feedback mechanism between Mst1 and caspase 3, which was shown in the previous studies, was not observed. Inhibition of Mst1 function may be beneficial for maintaining the endothelial integrity and inhibition of atherogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, 812-8582 Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohtsubo
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichiki
authors.forename: Ikuyo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Imayama
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Kae
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukuyama
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hashiguchi
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sadoshima
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sunagawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C082332:macrophage stimulating protein; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor