Bax-derived membrane-active peptides act as potent and direct inducers of apoptosis in cancer cells.
Although many cancer cells are primed for apoptosis, they usually develop resistance to cell death at several levels. Permeabilization of the outer mitochondrial membrane, which is mediated by proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members such as Bax, is considered as a point of no return for initiating apoptotic cell death. This crucial role has placed Bcl-2 family proteins as recurrent targets for anticancer drug development. Here, we propose and demonstrate a new concept based on minimal active versions of Bax to induce cell death independently of endogenous Bcl-2 proteins. We show that membrane-active segments of Bax can directly induce the release of mitochondria-residing apoptogenic factors and commit tumor cells promptly and irreversibly to caspase-dependent apoptosis. On this basis, we designed a peptide encompassing part of the Bax pore-forming domain, which can target mitochondria, induce cytochrome c release and trigger caspase-dependent apoptosis. Moreover, this Bax-derived 'poropeptide' produced effective tumor regression after peritumoral injection in a nude mouse xenograft model. Thus, peptides derived from proteins that form pores in the mitochondrial outer membrane represent novel templates for anticancer agents.
IBCP, Institut de Biologie et Chimie des Protéines, CNRS, UMR 5086, Université de Lyon, 7 Passage du Vercors, Lyon, IFR 128, France.
Juan Garcia
JG
Valero
Lucie
L
Sancey
Jérôme
J
Kucharczak
Yannis
Y
Guillemin
Diana
D
Gimenez
Julien
J
Prudent
Germain
G
Gillet
Jesús
J
Salgado
Jean-Luc
JL
Coll
Abdel
A
Aouacheria
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D010455:Peptides; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D045304:Cytochromes c
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