title: Acetylsalicylic acid induces programmed cell death in Arabidopsis cell cultures.
abstract: Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a derivative from the plant hormone salicylic acid (SA), is a commonly used drug that has a dual role in animal organisms as an anti-inflammatory and anticancer agent. It acts as an inhibitor of cyclooxygenases (COXs), which catalyze prostaglandins production. It is known that ASA serves as an apoptotic agent on cancer cells through the inhibition of the COX-2 enzyme. Here, we provide evidences that ASA also behaves as an agent inducing programmed cell death (PCD) in cell cultures of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, in a similar way than the well-established PCD-inducing agent H(2)O(2), although the induction of PCD by ASA requires much lower inducer concentrations. Moreover, ASA is herein shown to be a more efficient PCD-inducing agent than salicylic acid. ASA treatment of Arabidopsis cells induces typical PCD-linked morphological and biochemical changes, namely cell shrinkage, nuclear DNA degradation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cytochrome c release from mitochondria and induction of caspase-like activity. However, the ASA effect can be partially reverted by jasmonic acid. Taking together, these results reveal the existence of common features in ASA-induced animal apoptosis and plant PCD, and also suggest that there are similarities between the pathways of synthesis and function of prostanoid-like lipid mediators in animal and plant organisms.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Universidad de Sevilla & Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Américo Vespucio 49, 41092, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: García-Heredia
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hervás
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: De la Rosa
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Navarro
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001241:Aspirin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003517:Cyclopentanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D054883:Oxylipins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003517:Cyclopentanes; D054883:Oxylipins; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; C011006:jasmonic acid; D045304:Cytochromes c; D001241:Aspirin