title: Prometaphase arrest-dependent phosphorylation of Bcl-2 and Bim reduces the association of Bcl-2 with Bak or Bim, provoking Bak activation and mitochondrial apoptosis in nocodazole-treated Jurkat T cells.
abstract: Treatment of Jurkat T cells with the microtubule-depolymerizing agent nocodazole (NOC) caused prometaphase arrest and apoptosis. NOC-induced mitochondrial apoptotic events including Bak activation, Δψm loss, cytochrome c release, and caspase cascade activation were blocked by Bcl-2 overexpression. However, mitotic arrest, Cdc25C activation, upregulation of cyclin B1 levels, Cdk1 activation, Bcl-2 phosphorylation at Thr-56 and Ser-70, and Bim phosphorylation were retained. The treatment of Jurkat T cells concomitantly with NOC and the G1/S-blocking agent hydroxyurea resulted in G1/S arrest and complete abrogation of all apoptotic events. The association of Bcl-2 with Bim or Bak declined after the prometaphase arrest-dependent phosphorylation of Bcl-2 and Bim, whereas the association of Bcl-2 with Bax remained relatively constant. Although Bax was redistributed from the cytosol to the mitochondria, resulting in an increase in the mitochondrial level of Bax following NOC treatment, the subcellular localization of Bcl-2, Bim, Bak and apoptosis-inducing factor was confined to the mitochondrial fraction irrespective of NOC treatment. Experiments using selective caspase inhibitors showed that mitochondria-dependent activation of caspase-9 and -3 was crucial for NOC-induced apoptosis. NOC-induced phosphorylation of Bcl-2 and Bim, Δψm loss, and mitochondria-dependent apoptotic events were significantly suppressed by a Cdk1 inhibitor roscovitine, but not by the JNK inhibitor SP600125 or the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580. These results show that the prometaphase arrest-dependent phosphorylation of Bcl-2 and Bim, which was mediated by Cdk1, could reduce the association of Bcl-2 with Bak or Bim to allow Bak activation and mitochondrial apoptotic events in Jurkat T cells exposed to NOC.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunobiology, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 702-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Cho Rong
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Do Youn
authors.initials: do Y
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.forename: Ji Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young Ho
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D059566:M Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015739:Nocodazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D049468:Prometaphase / Q000187:drug effects*; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C000606775:BCL2L11 protein, human; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; D015739:Nocodazole