title: Intramitochondrial calcium regulation by the FHIT gene product sensitizes to apoptosis.
abstract: Despite the growing interest in the Fhit tumor suppressor protein, frequently deleted in human cancers, the mechanism of its powerful proapoptotic activity has remained elusive. We here demonstrate that Fhit sensitizes the low-affinity Ca(2+) transporters of mitochondria, enhancing Ca(2+) uptake into the organelle both in intact and in permabilized cells, and potentiating the effect of apoptotic agents. This effect can be attributed to the fraction of Fhit sorted to mitochondria, as a fully mitochondrial Fhit (a chimeric protein including a mitochondrial targeting sequence) retains the Ca(2+) signaling properties of Fhit and the proapoptotic activity of the native protein (whereas the effects on the cell cycle are lost). Thus, the partial sorting of Fhit to mitochondria allows to finely tune the sensitivity of the organelle to the highly pleiomorphic Ca(2+) signals, synergizing with apoptotic challenges. This concept, and the identification of the molecular machinery, may provide ways to act on apoptotic cell death and its derangement in cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Diagnostic Medicine, Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Inflammation, Emilia Romagna Laboratory BioPharmaNet Laboratory, University of Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rimessi
authors.forename: Saverio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marchi
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fotino
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romagnoli
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huebner
authors.forename: Carlo M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Croce
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pinton
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizzuto
mesh_terms: D017766:Acid Anhydride Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D024483:Vitamin K 3 / Q000494:pharmacology; D000099170:Bis(5'-adenosyl)triphosphatase
chemical_list: D017766:Acid Anhydride Hydrolases; D002118:Calcium; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D024483:Vitamin K 3; D000099170:Bis(5'-adenosyl)triphosphatase