title: Evidence that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and caspase-4 activation occur in human neutrophils.
abstract: Apoptosis can result from activation of three major pathways: the extrinsic, the intrinsic, and the most recently identified endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated pathway. While the two former pathways are known to be operational in human polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), the existence of the ER stress-mediated pathway, generally involving caspase-4, has never been reported in these cells. Recently, we have documented that arsenic trioxide (ATO) induced apoptosis in human PMNs by a mechanism that needs to be further investigated. In this study, using immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, we present evidence of ER alterations in PMNs activated by the ER stress inducer arsenic trioxide (ATO). Several key players of the unfolded protein response, including GRP78, GADD153, ATF6, XBP1 and eIF2alpha are expressed and activated in PMNs treated with ATO or other ER stress inducers. Although caspase-4 is expressed and activated in neutrophils, treatment with a caspase-4 inhibitor did not attenuate the pro-apoptotic effect of ATO at a concentration that reverses caspase-4 processing and activation. Our results demonstrate for the first time that the ER stress-mediated apoptotic pathway operates in human neutrophils.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Recherche en Inflammation et Physiologie des Granulocytes, Université du Québec, INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Laval, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Binet
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chiasson
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Girard
mesh_terms: D051702:Activating Transcription Factor 6 / Q000378:metabolism; D000077237:Arsenic Trioxide; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000494:pharmacology; D053471:Caspases, Initiator / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D015852:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D010087:Oxides / Q000494:pharmacology; D017510:Protein Folding; D000071701:Regulatory Factor X Transcription Factors; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D051742:Transcription Factor CHOP / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D000071717:X-Box Binding Protein 1
chemical_list: C497111:ATF6 protein, human; D051702:Activating Transcription Factor 6; D001152:Arsenicals; C497249:DDIT3 protein, human; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; D015852:Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2; C000717247:HSPA5 protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D010087:Oxides; D000071701:Regulatory Factor X Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000071717:X-Box Binding Protein 1; C000605543:XBP1 protein, human; D051742:Transcription Factor CHOP; C093516:CASP4 protein, human; D053471:Caspases, Initiator; D000077237:Arsenic Trioxide