Tuberc Respir Dis.  2004 Nov;57(5):449-460.

PS-341-Induced Apoptosis is Related to JNK-Dependent Caspase 3 Activation and It is Negatively Regulated by PI3K/Akt-Mediated Inactivation of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3beta in Lung Cancer Cells

• Lee KH
• Lee CT
• Kim YW
• Han SK
• Shim YS
• Yoo CG

Abstract

BACKGROUND: PS-341 is a novel, highly selective and potent proteasome inhibitor, which showed cytotoxicity against some tumor cells. Its anti-tumor activity has been suggested to be associated with modulation of the expression of apoptosis-associated proteins, such as p53, p21(WAF/CIP1), p27(KIP1), NF-kappa, Bax and Bcl-2. c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta(GSK-3beta are important modulators of apoptosis. However, their role in PS-341-induced apoptosis is unclear. This study was undertaken to elucidate the role of JNK and GSK-3beta in the PS-341-induced apoptosis in lung cancer cells. METHOD: NCI-H157 and A549 cells were used in the experiments. The cell viability was assayed using the MTT assay and apoptosis was evaluated by proteolysis of PARP. The JNK activity was measured by an in vitro immuno complex kinase assay and by phosphorylation of endogenous c-Jun. The protein expression was evaluated by Western blot analysis. Dominant negative JNK1 (DN-JNK1) and GSK-3betawere overexpressed using plasmid and adenovirus vectors, respectively. RESULT: PS-341 reduced the cell viability via apoptosis, activated JNK and increased the c-Jun expression. Blocking of the JNK activation by overexpression of DN-JNK1, or pretreatment with SP600125, suppressed the apoptosis induced by PS-341. The activation of caspase 3 was mediated by JNK activation. Blocking of the caspase 3 activation suppressed PS-341-induced apoptosis. PS-341 activated the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway, but its blockade enhanced the PS-341-induced cell death via apoptosis. GSK-3betawas inactivated by PS-341 via the PI3K/Akt pathway. Overexpression of constitutively active GSK-3beta enhanced PS-341-induced apoptosis; in contrast, this was suppressed by dominant negative GSK-3beta(DN-GSK-3beta. Inactivation of GSK-3beta by pretreatment with lithium chloride or the overexpression of DN-GSK-3beta suppressed both the JNK activation and c-Jun up-regulation induced by PS-341.
CONCLUSION
The JNK/caspase pathway is involved in PS-341-induced apoptosis, which is negatively regulated by the PI3K/Akt-mediated inactivation of GSK-3beta in lung cancer cells.

Keyword

PS-341; Apoptosis; JNK; Caspase; PI3K/Akt; GSK-3beta Lung cancer

MeSH Terms

Adenoviridae
Apoptosis*
Blotting, Western
Caspase 3*
Cell Death
Cell Survival
Glycogen Synthase*
Glycogen*
JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
Lithium Chloride
Lung Neoplasms*
Lung*
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase
Phosphorylation
Phosphotransferases
Plasmids
Proteasome Inhibitors
Proteolysis
Up-Regulation
Bortezomib
Caspase 3
Glycogen
Glycogen Synthase
JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
Lithium Chloride
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase
Phosphotransferases
Proteasome Inhibitors