title: Enzastaurin-induced apoptosis in glioma cells is caspase-dependent and inhibited by BCL-XL.
abstract: The novel protein kinase C-beta inhibitor enzastaurin (ENZA) induced apoptosis in LNT-229 and T98G cells whereas A172 cells were resistant. Further, ENZA reduced proliferation in glioblastoma-initiating cells T 269 and T 323 but did not induce apoptosis. ENZA-induced apoptosis involved cleavage of caspases 3, 8, and 9 and led to mitochondrial cytochrome c release and was strongly suppressed by the broad spectrum caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk but only slightly by the expression of the viral caspase 1/8 inhibitor cytokine response modifier-A. ENZA did not reduce the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt), but of p70 S6 kinase and of its substrate S6 protein in T98G cells. Inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase signaling pathway did not restore sensitivity of A172 cells towards ENZA, and constitutively active Akt did not protect LNT-229 and T98G cells from ENZA-induced apoptosis. Dephosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3beta, a biomarker of ENZA action, and cell death induction by ENZA were separately regulated. Inhibition or activation of Akt only weakly modulated ENZA-induced dephosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3beta. In ENZA-resistant A172 cells, apoptosis ligand 2 (Apo2L.0)-induced cleavage of caspases 3, 8, and 9 was increased by ENZA, resulting in synergistic activity of ENZA and Apo2L.0.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Neuro-Oncology, Department of General Neurology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rieger
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lemke
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weiler
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Ghazaleh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tabatabai
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weller
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D020169:Caspases / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005910:Glioma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D053220:Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051020:bcl-X Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007211:Indoles; D053220:Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D051020:bcl-X Protein; C096713:benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone; D045304:Cytochromes c; C000605506:GSK3B protein, human; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D020169:Caspases; C504878:enzastaurin