title: The broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor Boc-Asp-CMK induces cell death in human leukaemia cells.
abstract: Synthetic caspase inhibitors and particularly broad-spectrum caspase inhibitors can prevent cells from death or at least slow down cell death process and abrogate some apoptotic hallmarks [Kitanaka, C., Kuchino, Y., 1999. Caspase-independent programmed cell death with necrotic morphology. Cell Death and Differentiation 6, 508-515]. However, not all synthetic caspase inhibitors diminish cell death. We have found that the broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor Boc-Asp-CMK induced cell death at micromolar concentrations in human leukaemia cells. Interestingly, low concentrations of Boc-Asp-CMK induced cell death with apoptotic hallmarks. Increasing concentrations of Boc-Asp-CMK led to necrotic cell death. The switch between apoptosis and necrosis seemed to depend upon the degree of inhibition of executioner caspases, including caspase-3/7 with Boc-Asp-CMK. Interestingly, caspase-3 processing was not inhibited even for the highest concentration of Boc-Asp-CMK used. We assume, that toxic properties of Boc-Asp-CMK can be attributed to the chloromethylketone residuum in its molecule, as its analogue Boc-Asp-FMK with fluoromethylketone residuum was more than 13 times less toxic. Our results further indicated that toxicity of Boc-Asp-CMK might arise from its interference with mitochondrial metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Palacky University, Hnevotinska 3, Olomouc 77515, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Frydrych
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mlejnek
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dolezel
authors.forename: Vassilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zoumpourlis
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krumpochova
mesh_terms: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D020298:U937 Cells / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; C097543:N-tert-butyloxycarbonyl-aspartyl (benzyl)chloromethylketone; C417985:butyloxycarbonyl-aspartyl-fluoromethyl ketone; D053148:Caspase 3