title: Novel targets for endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis in B-CLL.
abstract: A better understanding of apoptotic signaling in B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells may help to define new therapeutic strategies. This study investigated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling in spontaneous apoptosis of B-CLL cells and whether manipulating ER stress increases their apoptosis. Results show that a novel ER stress-triggered caspase cascade, initiated by caspase-4 and involving caspase-8 and -3, plays an important role in spontaneous B-CLL cell apoptosis. ER stress-induced apoptosis in B-CLL cells also involves CHOP/GADD153 up-regulation, increased JNK1/2 phosphorylation, and caspase-8-mediated cleavage of Bap31 to Bap20, known to propagate apoptotic signals from ER to mitochondria. In ex vivo B-CLL cells, some apoptotic events associated with mitochondrial pathway also occur, including mitochondrial cytochrome c release and caspase-9 processing. However, pharmacologic inhibition studies show that caspase-9 plays a minor role in B-CLL cell apoptosis. ER stress also triggers survival signals in B-CLL cells by increasing BiP/GRP78 expression. Manipulating ER signaling by siRNA down-regulation of BiP/GRP78 or treating B-CLL cells with 2 well-known ER stress-inducers, tunicamycin and thapsigargin, increases their apoptosis. Overall, our findings show that ER triggers an essential pathway for B-CLL cell apoptosis and suggest that genetic and pharmacologic manipulation of ER signaling could represent an important therapeutic strategy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, General Pathology and Immunology Section, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy. erosati@unipg.it
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosati
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sabatini
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rampino
authors.forename: Filomena
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Falco
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Ianni
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Falzetti
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fettucciari
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bartoli
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Screpanti
authors.forename: Pierfrancesco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marconi
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D019284:Thapsigargin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014415:Tunicamycin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C091247:BCAP31 protein, human; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; C000717247:HSPA5 protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D014415:Tunicamycin; D019284:Thapsigargin; D020169:Caspases