Transforming growth factor beta1 induces apoptosis by suppressing FLICE-like inhibitory protein in DU145 prostate epithelial cells.

Transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) is a paracrine mediator of prostate epithelial cell apoptosis. In rodents, castration induces production of TGFbeta by stromal cells, which leads to apoptosis of epithelial cells. To identify potential mediators of this cell death pathway, we developed a model using DU145 cells, a tumorigenic human prostate epithelial cell line. We discovered that at low density, in low mitogen media, DU145 cells apoptose when treated with TGFbeta1. Prior to the onset of death, TGFbeta1 treatment downregulated the expression of the caspase inhibitor FLICE-like inhibitory protein (FLIP), at both the mRNA and protein level, suggesting a causal role between FLIP downregulation and cell death. To confirm the importance of FLIP in TGFbeta1-induced apoptosis, we employed small interfering RNA (siRNA) to silence FLIP expression. Doing so led to apoptosis, which is consistent with the hypothesis that FLIP prevents death in these cells. Furthermore, inhibition of caspase-8 by siRNA knockdown partially rescued the apoptotic effects of TGFbeta1, suggesting a role for death receptor signaling components in TGFbeta-mediated death of prostate epithelial cells.

Nuclear transit of the intracellular domain of the interferon receptor subunit IFNaR2 requires Stat2 and Irf9.

Regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) is the primary signaling mechanism for some receptors, such as Notch and the amyloid precursor protein. In addition, some receptor type tyrosine kinases, such as HER4, are able to signal via both kinase activation and regulated receptor proteolysis. Previously, we showed that the IFNaR2 subunit of the type I interferon receptor can be cleaved in a two step process that resembles RIP and that the IFNaR2 intracellular domain (IFNaR2-ICD) can mediate gene transcription in a Stat2 dependent manner. Here, we demonstrate that IFNaR2-ICD, Stat2 and Irf9 form a ternary complex. Furthermore, Stat2 and Irf9 are required for the nuclear transit of a GFP-linked IFNaR2-ICD construct (GFP-ICD). Additional experiments monitoring the nuclear localization of GFP-ICD demonstrate that Stat2 serves an adaptor role, mediating the interaction between the IFNaR2-ICD and Irf9, while the bipartite nuclear localization signal within Irf9 is the primary determinant driving nuclear transit of the ICD containing complex. Overall, the data suggest that liberation of the IFNaR2-ICD by regulated proteolysis could trigger a novel mechanism for moving the transcription factor Stat2 to the nucleus.

FLICE-like inhibitory protein blocks transforming growth factor beta 1-induced caspase activation and apoptosis in prostate epithelial cells.

Androgen withdrawal induces the regression of human prostate cancers, but such cancers eventually become androgen-independent and metastasize. Thus, deciphering the mechanism of androgen withdrawal-induced apoptosis is critical to designing new therapies for prostate cancer. Previously, we showed that in the rat, castration-induced apoptosis is accompanied by a reduction in the expression of the apical caspase inhibitor FLICE-like inhibitory protein (FLIP). To test the functional role of FLIP in inhibiting prostate epithelial cell apoptosis, we employed the rat prostate epithelial cell line NRP-152, which differentiates to a secretory phenotype in a low-mitogen medium and then undergoes apoptosis following the addition of transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1), mimicking androgen withdrawal-induced apoptosis. FLIP levels decline with TGFbeta1 treatment, suggesting that apoptosis is mediated by caspase-8 and indeed the caspase inhibitor crmA blocks TGFbeta1-induced apoptosis. Small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of FLIP recapitulates and enhances TGFbeta1-induced cell death. NRP-152 cells stably transfected with constitutively expressed FLIP were refractory to TGFbeta1-induced apoptosis. TGFbeta1-induced caspase-3 activity is proportional to the level of cell death and inversely proportional to the level of FLIP expression in various clones. Moreover, neither caspase-3 nor PARP is cleaved in clones expressing high levels of FLIP. Furthermore, insulin, which inhibits differentiation, increases FLIP and inhibits TGFbeta-induced death in a FLIP-dependent manner. Although neither Fas-Fc, sTNFRII-Fc, nor DR5-Fc blocked TGFbeta1-induced cell death, there is a significant increase in tumor necrosis factor mRNA following TGFbeta stimulation, suggesting both an unexpected role for tumor necrosis factor in this model system and the possibility that FLIP blocks another unknown caspase-dependent mediator of apoptosis.