title: Activation of the JNK pathway promotes phosphorylation and degradation of BimEL--a novel mechanism of chemoresistance in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias (T-ALLs) are highly malignant tumors with 20% of patients continues to fail therapy, in part due to chemoresistance of T-ALL cells via largely unknown mechanisms. Here, we showed that lack of Bcl-2-interacting mediator of cell death (Bim)(EL) protein expression, a BH3-only member of the Bcl-2 family proteins, conferred resistance of a T-ALL cell line, Sup-T1, to etoposide-induced apoptosis. Overexpression of Bim(EL) significantly restored its sensitivity to etoposide-induced caspase activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Surprisingly, we found that constitutive activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway in Sup-T1 cells promoted phosphorylation and degradation of Bim(EL) via the proteosome. Blocking with a proteosome inhibitor yielded an elevated level of Bim(EL) and accumulation of Bim(EL) species phosphorylated at Ser(69). Pretreatment of Sup-T1 cells with a specific JNK inhibitor, SP600125, also increased the Bim(EL) level and resensitized the cells to etoposide-induced apoptosis. Together, our findings suggest that the JNK activation status may correlate with the Bim(EL) level and in turn can control the sensitivity of T-ALL cells to chemotherapeutic agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Kam Tong
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Karen Kwai-Har
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Samuel Sai-Ming
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Paul Kay Sheung
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Vincent Eng-Choon
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Ooi
authors.forename: Lawrence Chi-Ming
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Chiu
mesh_terms: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D015153:Blotting, Western; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005047:Etoposide / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D006868:Hydrolysis; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C000606775:BCL2L11 protein, human; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D005047:Etoposide; D048670:MAP Kinase Kinase 4