Apoptosis signaling in lymphocytes.

Lymphocyte apoptosis is essential for proper function of the immune system. Among other functions, it is responsible for the homeostasis of immune cells and plays a key role in the elimination of autoreactive lymphocytes. Recently, progress has been made in the identification of genes that regulate apoptosis. Studies characterizing the basic apoptosis signaling machinery have begun to reveal the molecular control of processes that modulate lymphocyte apoptosis.

Betulinic acid triggers CD95 (APO-1/Fas)- and p53-independent apoptosis via activation of caspases in neuroectodermal tumors.

Betulinic acid (BA), a melanoma-specific cytotoxic agent, induced apoptosis in neuroectodermal tumors, such as neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, and Ewing's sarcoma, representing the most common solid tumors of childhood. BA triggered an apoptosis pathway different from the one previously identified for standard chemotherapeutic drugs. BA-induced apoptosis was independent of CD95-ligand/receptor interaction and accumulation of wild-type p53 protein, but it critically depended on activation of caspases (interleukin 1beta-converting enzyme/Ced-3-like proteases). FLICE/MACH (caspase-8), considered to be an upstream protease in the caspase cascade, and the downstream caspase CPP32/YAMA/Apopain (caspase-3) were activated, resulting in cleavage of the prototype substrate of caspases PARP. The broad-spectrum peptide inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone, which blocked cleavage of FLICE and PARP, also completely abrogated BA-triggered apoptosis. Cleavage of caspases was preceded by disturbance of mitochondrial membrane potential and by generation of reactive oxygen species. Overexpression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL conferred resistance to BA at the level of mitochondrial dysfunction, protease activation, and nuclear fragmentation. This suggested that mitochondrial alterations were involved in BA-induced activation of caspases. Furthermore, Bax and Bcl-xs, two death-promoting proteins of the Bcl-2 family, were up-regulated following BA treatment. Most importantly, neuroblastoma cells resistant to CD95- and doxorubicin-mediated apoptosis were sensitive to treatment with BA, suggesting that BA may bypass some forms of drug resistance. Because BA exhibited significant antitumor activity on patients' derived neuroblastoma cells ex vivo, BA may be a promising new agent for the treatment of neuroectodermal tumors in vivo.

Activation of the CD95 (APO-1/Fas) pathway in drug- and gamma-irradiation-induced apoptosis of brain tumor cells.

Chemotherapeutic agents and gamma-irradiation used in the treatment of brain tumors, the most common solid tumors of childhood, have been shown to act primarily by inducing apoptosis. Here, we report that activation of the CD95 pathway was involved in drug- and gamma-irradiation-induced apoptosis of medulloblastoma and glioblastoma cells. Upon treatment CD95 ligand (CD95-L) was induced that stimulated the CD95 pathway by crosslinking CD95 via an autocrine/paracrine loop. Blocking CD95-L/receptor interaction using F(ab')2 anti-CD95 antibody fragments strongly reduced apoptosis. Apoptosis depended on activation of caspases (interleukin 1beta-converting enzyme/Ced-3 like proteases) as it was almost completely abrograted by the broad range caspase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone. Apoptosis was mediated by cleavage of the receptor proximal caspase FLICE/MACH (caspase-8) and the downstream caspase CPP32 (caspase-3, Apopain) resulting in cleavage of the prototype caspase substrate PARP. Moreover, CD95 was upregulated in wild-type p53 cells thereby increasing responsiveness towards CD95 triggering. Since activation of the CD95 system upon treatment was also found in primary medulloblastoma cells ex vivo, these findings may have implications to define chemosensitivity and to develop novel therapeutic strategies in the management of malignant brain tumors.

The role of p53 and the CD95 (APO-1/Fas) death system in chemotherapy-induced apoptosis.

To explore the pathway of p53 dependent cell death, we investigated if p53 dependent apoptosis following DNA damage is mediated by the CD95 (APO-1/Fas) receptor/ligand system. We investigated cell lines of solid human tumors upon treatment with clinically relevant chemotherapeutic drugs known to act via p53 accumulation. Treatment with these cytotoxic drugs led to an upregulation of both, the CD95 receptor (CD95) and the CD95L (CD95L). Induction of the CD95L occurred in p53 wild-type (wt), p53 mutant (mt) and in cell lines lacking p53 altogether (p53-/-). Thus, the regulation of the CD95L in response to chemotherapeutic drugs clearly involves p53 independent mechanisms. Most importantly, upregulation of CD95 occurred only in cell lines with wild-type p53, thereby strongly increasing the responsiveness towards CD95 mediated apoptosis. Thus, upregulation of the CD95 receptor seems to be dependent on intact wild-type p53. Apoptosis was mediated by cleavage of the receptor proximal caspase, caspase-8 (FLICE/MACH). Caspase-8 cleavage was observed, independent of the p53 status of the tumor cells and irrespective whether or not apoptosis was dependent on the CD95 system. Hence, additional effector pathways besides CD95/CD95L signaling are likely to contribute to drug-induced apoptosis.

Isolation and analysis of components of CD95 (APO-1/Fas) death-inducing signaling complex.

CD95 (APO-1/Fas) is an apoptosis-inducing receptor belonging to the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily. Multimerization of CD95 leads to instant recruitment of the signaling molecules FADD and caspase-8 to the activated receptor forming the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC). DISC formation is the first essential step of CD95 signaling and results in activation of caspase-8 starting a signaling cascade that leads to apoptosis. Here we describe a method for analyzing the CD95 DISC. The method is based on coimmunoprecipitation of the signaling molecules with the activated CD95 receptor followed by Western blot detection of associated molecules. Therefore, this method can analyze the very first signaling events during CD95-mediated apoptosis.

Phosphorylation of FADD/ MORT1 at serine 194 and association with a 70-kDa cell cycle-regulated protein kinase.

The adapter molecule Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD)/mediator of receptor-induced toxicity-1 (MORT1) is essential for signal transduction of the apoptosis-inducing receptor CD95 (APO-1/Fas) as it connects the activated receptor with the effector caspase-8. FADD also plays a role in embryonic development and the cell cycle reentry of T cells. FADD is phosphorylated at serine residues. We now show that phosphorylation exclusively occurs at serine 194. The phosphorylation of FADD was found to correlate with the cell cycle. In cells arrested at the G2/M boundary with nocodazole, FADD was quantitatively phosphorylated, whereas only nonphosphorylated FADD was found in cells arrested in G1/S with hydroxyurea. In this context, we have identified a 70-kDa cell cycle-regulated kinase that specifically binds to the C-terminal half of FADD. Because CD95-mediated apoptosis is independent of the cell cycle, phosphorylation of FADD may regulate its apoptosis-independent functions.

Bcl-xL acts downstream of caspase-8 activation by the CD95 death-inducing signaling complex.

The Bcl-2 family member Bcl-xL has often been correlated with apoptosis resistance. We have shown recently that in peripheral human T cells resistance to CD95-mediated apoptosis is characterized by a lack of caspase-8 recruitment to the CD95 death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) and by increased expression of Bcl-xL (Peter, M. E., Kischkel, F. C., Scheuerpflug, C. G., Medema, J. P., Debatin, K.-M., and Krammer, P. H. (1997) Eur. J. Immunol. 27, 1207-1212). This raises the possibility that Bcl-xL directly prevents caspase-8 activation by the DISC. To test this hypothesis a cell line in which CD95 signaling was inhibited by overexpression of Bcl-xL was used. In these MCF7-Fas-bcl-xL cells Bcl-xL had no effect on the recruitment of caspase-8 to the DISC. It did not affect the activity of the DISC nor the generation of the caspase-8 active subunits p18 and p10. In contrast, cleavage of a typical substrate for caspase-3-like proteases, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, was inhibited in comparison with the control-transfected CD95-sensitive MCF7-Fas cells. To test whether Bcl-xL would inhibit active caspase-8 subunits in the cytoplasm, a number of immunoprecipitation experiments were performed. Using monoclonal antibodies directed against different domains of caspase-8, anti-Bcl-xL antibodies, or fusion proteins of glutathione S-transferase with different domains of caspase-8, no evidence for a direct or indirect physical interaction between caspase-8 and Bcl-xL was found. Moreover, overexpression of Bcl-xL did not inhibit the activity of the caspase-8 active subunits p18/p10. Therefore, in this cell line that has become resistant to CD95-induced apoptosis due to overexpression of Bcl-xL, Bcl-xL acts independently and downstream of caspase-8.

FLICE is predominantly expressed as two functionally active isoforms, caspase-8/a and caspase-8/b.

Induction of apoptosis by the cell surface receptor CD95 (APO-1/Fas) has been shown to involve activation of a family of cysteine proteases (caspases). Recently, a new member of this family has been identified, designated FLICE (caspase-8/MACH/Mch5). FLICE is part of the CD95 death-inducing signaling complex and is therefore the most upstream caspase in the CD95 apoptotic pathway. A total of eight different isoforms of FLICE (caspase-8/a-h) have been described. To determine which isoforms are expressed in different cells we have generated a panel of monoclonal antibodies directed against all functional domains of FLICE. Using these antibodies we could show that only two of the FLICE isoforms (caspase-8/a and caspase-8/b) were predominantly expressed in cells of different origin. Both isoforms were recruited to the CD95 death-inducing signaling complex and were activated upon CD95 stimulation with similar kinetics. Taken together, only two of the eight published caspase-8 isoforms could be detected in significant amounts at the protein level.

The role of c-FLIP in modulation of CD95-induced apoptosis.

Upon stimulation, CD95 (APO-1/Fas) recruits the adapter molecule Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD)/MORT1 and caspase-8 (FADD-like interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme (FLICE)/MACH/MCH5) into the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC). Recently, a molecule with sequence homology to caspase-8 was identified, termed cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP). c-FLIP has been controversially reported to possess apoptosis-promoting and -inhibiting functions. Using c-FLIP-specific monoclonal antibodies, we now show that c-FLIP is expressed in two isoforms, both of which, like FADD and caspase-8, are recruited to the CD95 DISC in a stimulation-dependent fashion. In stably transfected BJAB cells, c-FLIP blocks caspase-8 activation at the DISC and thereby inhibits CD95-mediated apoptosis. During this process, both caspase-8 and c-FLIP undergo cleavage between the p18 and p10 subunits, generating two stable intermediates of 43 kDa that stay bound to the DISC. c-FLIP has been suggested to play a role in protecting activated peripheral T cells from CD95-mediated apoptosis (Irmler, M., Thome, M., Hahne, M., Schneider, P., Hofmann, K., Steiner, V., Bodmer, J. L. , Schroter, M., Burns, K., Mattmann, C., Rimoldi, D., French, L. E., and Tschopp, J. (1997) Nature 388, 190-195). In contrast to this hypothesis, neither caspase-8 nor c-FLIP were cleaved in these cells, ruling out c-FLIP as the main factor regulating DISC activity. Moreover, recruitment of FADD, caspase-8, and c-FLIP to the DISC was strongly reduced in the apoptosis-resistant but readily detectable in the apoptosis-sensitive T cells.

FLICE is activated by association with the CD95 death-inducing signaling complex (DISC).

Upon activation, the apoptosis-inducing cell membrane receptor CD95 (APO-1/Fas) recruits a set of intracellular signaling proteins (CAP1-4) into a death-inducing signaling complex (DISC). In the DISC, CAP1 and CAP2 represent FADD/MORT1. CAP4 was identified recently as an ICE-like protease, FLICE, with two death effector domains (DED). Here we show that FLICE binds to FADD through its N-terminal DED. This is an obligatory step in CD95 signaling detected in the DISC of all CD95-sensitive cells tested. Upon prolonged triggering of CD95 with agonistic antibodies all cytosolic FLICE gets proteolytically activated. Physiological FLICE cleavage requires association with the DISC and occurs by a two-step mechanism. Initial cleavage generates a p43 and a p12 fragment further processed to a p10 fragment. Subsequent cleavage of the receptor-bound p43 results in formation of the prodomain p26 and the release of the active site-containing fragment p18. Activation of FLICE is blocked by the peptide inhibitors zVAD-fmk, zDEVD-fmk and zIETD-fmk, but not by crmA or Ac-YVAD-CHO. Taken together, our data indicate that FLICE is the first in a cascade of ICE-like proteases activated by CD95 and that this activation requires a functional CD95 DISC.

Activation of mitochondria and release of mitochondrial apoptogenic factors by betulinic acid.

Different classes of anticancer drugs may trigger apoptosis by acting on different subcellular targets and by activating distinct signaling pathways. Here, we report that betulinic acid (BetA) is a prototype cytotoxic agent that triggers apoptosis by a direct effect on mitochondria. In isolated mitochondria, BetA directly induces loss of transmembrane potential independent of a benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone-inhibitable caspase. This is inhibited by bongkrekic acid, an agent that stabilizes the permeability transition pore complex. Mitochondria undergoing BetA-induced permeability transition mediate cleavage of caspase-8 (FLICE/MACH/Mch5) and caspase-3 (CPP32/Yama) in a cell-free system. Soluble factors such as cytochrome c or apoptosis-inducing factor released from BetA-treated mitochondria are sufficient for cleavage of caspases and nuclear fragmentation. Addition of cytochrome c to cytosolic extracts results in cleavage of caspase-3, but not of caspase-8. However, supernatants of mitochondria, which have undergone permeability transition, and partially purified apoptosis-inducing factor activate both caspase-8 and caspase-3 in cytosolic extracts and suffice to activate recombinant caspase-8. These findings show that induction of mitochondrial permeability transition alone is sufficient to trigger the full apoptosis program and that some cytotoxic drugs such as BetA may induce apoptosis via a direct effect on mitochondria.

Caspase activation is required for nitric oxide-mediated, CD95(APO-1/Fas)-dependent and independent apoptosis in human neoplastic lymphoid cells.

Nitric oxide (NO), an important effector molecule involved in immune regulation and host defense, was shown to induce apoptosis in lymphoma cells. In the present report the NO donor glycerol trinitrate was found to induce apoptosis in Jurkat cells that are sensitive to CD95-mediated kill. In contrast, a CD95-resistant Jurkat subclone showed substantial protection from apoptosis after exposure to NO. NO induced mRNA expression of CD95 (APO-1/Fas) and TRAIL/APO-2 ligands. Moreover, NO triggered apoptosis in freshly isolated human leukemic lymphocytes which were also sensitive to anti-CD95 treatment. The ability of NO to induce apoptosis was completely blocked by a broad-spectrum ICE (interleukin-1beta converting enzyme)-protease/caspase inhibitor and correlated with FLICE/caspase-8 activation. This activation was abrogated in some neoplastic lymphoid cells but not in others by the inhibitor of protein synthesis cycloheximide. Our results were confirmed using an in vitro experimental model of coculture of human lymphoid target cells with activated bovine endothelial cells generating NO as effectors. Furthermore, the inhibition of endogenous NO production with the inducible NO synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine caused a complete abrogation of the apoptotic effect. Our data provide evidence that NO-induced apoptosis in human neoplastic lymphoid cells strictly requires activation of caspases, in particular FLICE, the most CD95 receptor-proximal caspase. Depending on the cell line tested this activation required or was independent of the CD95 receptor/ligand system.

Differential modulation of apoptosis sensitivity in CD95 type I and type II cells.

We have recently identified two different pathways of CD95-mediated apoptosis (Scaffidi, C., Fulda, S., Srinivasan, A., Feng, L., Friesen, C., Tomaselli, K. J., Debatin, K.-M., Krammer, P. H., and Peter, M. E. (1998) EMBO J. 17, 1675-1687). CD95-mediated apoptosis in type I cells is initiated by large amounts of active caspase-8 formed at the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) followed by direct cleavage of caspase-3. In contrast, in type II cells very little DISC and small amounts of active caspase-8 sufficient to induce the apoptogenic activity of mitochondria are formed causing a profound activation of both caspase-8 and caspase-3. Only in type II cells can apoptosis be blocked by overexpressed Bcl-2 or Bcl-x(L). We now show that a number of apoptosis-inhibiting or -inducing stimuli only affect apoptosis in type II cells, indicating that they act on the mitochondrial branch of the CD95 pathway. These stimuli include the activation of protein kinase C, which inhibits CD95-mediated apoptosis resulting in a delayed cleavage of BID, and the induction of apoptosis by the ceramide analog C(2)-ceramide. In addition, we have identified the CD95 high expressing cell line Boe(R) as a CD95 apoptosis-resistant type II cell that can be sensitized by treatment with cycloheximide without affecting formation of the DISC. This also places the effects of cycloheximide in the mitochondrial branch of the type II CD95 pathway. In contrast, c-FLIP was found to block CD95-mediated apoptosis in both type I and type II cells, because it acts directly at the DISC of both types of cells.

Cleavage of FLICE (caspase-8) by granzyme B during cytotoxic T lymphocyte-induced apoptosis.

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes induce apoptosis in target cells through the CD95(APO-1/Fas) and the perforin/granzyme B (GrB) pathway. The exact substrate of GrB in vivo is still unknown, but to induce apoptosis GrB requires the activity of caspases in target cells. We show here that in HeLa target cells induction of apoptosis through the perforin/GrB pathway resulted in minor direct cleavage of CPP32 (caspase-3) by GrB. Most caspase-3 cleavage resulted from activation of an upstream caspase. Moreover, target cells derived from caspase-3(-/-) mice displayed GrB-induced poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage with only partially reduced efficiency compared to wild-type target cells. This indicates that other PARP-cleaving caspases can be activated during perforin/GrB-induced cell death. In contrast to caspase-3, FLICE (caspase-8) was directly cleaved by GrB in HeLa cells. We therefore conclude that FLICE not only plays a central role in CD95(APO-1/Fas)-induced apoptosis but can also be directly activated during perforin/GrB-induced apoptosis.

DEDD, a novel death effector domain-containing protein, targeted to the nucleolus.

The CD95 signaling pathway comprises proteins that contain one or two death effector domains (DED), such as FADD/Mort1 or caspase-8. Here we describe a novel 37 kDa protein, DEDD, that contains an N-terminal DED. DEDD is highly conserved between human and mouse (98. 7% identity) and is ubiquitously expressed. Overexpression of DEDD in 293T cells induced weak apoptosis, mainly through its DED by which it interacts with FADD and caspase-8. Endogenous DEDD was found in the cytoplasm and translocated into the nucleus upon stimulation of CD95. Immunocytological studies revealed that overexpressed DEDD directly translocated into the nucleus, where it co-localizes in the nucleolus with UBF, a basal factor required for RNA polymerase I transcription. Consistent with its nuclear localization, DEDD contains two nuclear localization signals and the C-terminal part shares sequence homology with histones. Recombinant DEDD binds to both DNA and reconstituted mononucleosomes and inhibits transcription in a reconstituted in vitro system. The results suggest that DEDD is a final target of a chain of events by which the CD95-induced apoptotic signal is transferred into the nucleolus to shut off cellular biosynthetic activities.

Expression of c-FLIP(L) and resistance to CD95-mediated apoptosis of monocyte-derived dendritic cells: inhibition by bisindolylmaleimide.

To gain insight into the mechanisms controlling apoptosis of dendritic cells (DC), human monocyte-derived DC were analyzed for their expression of CD95 (Fas/Apo-1) and their response to CD95 ligation. Although DC expressed the CD95 molecule on their membrane, they did not undergo apoptosis on CD95 ligation unless sensitized by cycloheximide. In parallel, DC synthesized c-FLIP(L), an inhibitor of the CD95-mediated death-signaling cascade. We also demonstrated that bisindolylmaleimide down-regulates c-FLIP(L) expression in DC and, in parallel, allows CD95-mediated apoptosis in these cells. In contrast, Bcl-2, Bcl-x(L), and Bax levels were not affected by bisindolylmaleimide. We conclude that DC resist CD95- mediated apoptosis in association with c-FLIP(L) expression and that the immunosuppressive potential of bisindolylmaleimide previously observed at the T-cell level also involves facilitation of CD95-mediated DC apoptosis.

Two CD95 (APO-1/Fas) signaling pathways.

We have identified two cell types, each using almost exclusively one of two different CD95 (APO-1/Fas) signaling pathways. In type I cells, caspase-8 was activated within seconds and caspase-3 within 30 min of receptor engagement, whereas in type II cells cleavage of both caspases was delayed for approximately 60 min. However, both type I and type II cells showed similar kinetics of CD95-mediated apoptosis and loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (DeltaPsim). Upon CD95 triggering, all mitochondrial apoptogenic activities were blocked by Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL overexpression in both cell types. However, in type II but not type I cells, overexpression of Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL blocked caspase-8 and caspase-3 activation as well as apoptosis. In type I cells, induction of apoptosis was accompanied by activation of large amounts of caspase-8 by the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC), whereas in type II cells DISC formation was strongly reduced and activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3 occurred following the loss of DeltaPsim. Overexpression of caspase-3 in the caspase-3-negative cell line MCF7-Fas, normally resistant to CD95-mediated apoptosis by overexpression of Bcl-xL, converted these cells into true type I cells in which apoptosis was no longer inhibited by Bcl-xL. In summary, in the presence of caspase-3 the amount of active caspase-8 generated at the DISC determines whether a mitochondria-independent apoptosis pathway is used (type I cells) or not (type II cells).

Viral FLICE-inhibitory proteins (FLIPs) prevent apoptosis induced by death receptors.

Viruses have evolved many distinct strategies to avoid the host's apoptotic response. Here we describe a new family of viral inhibitors (v-FLIPs) which interfere with apoptosis signalled through death receptors and which are present in several gamma-herpesviruses (including Kaposi's-sarcoma-associated human herpesvirus-8), as well as in the tumorigenic human molluscipoxvirus. v-FLIPs contain two death-effector domains which interact with the adaptor protein FADD, and this inhibits the recruitment and activation of the protease FLICE by the CD95 death receptor. Cells expressing v-FLIPs are protected against apoptosis induced by CD95 or by the related death receptors TRAMP and TRAIL-R. The herpesvirus saimiri FLIP is detected late during the lytic viral replication cycle, at a time when host cells are partially protected from CD95-ligand-mediated apoptosis. Protection of virus-infected cells against death-receptor-induced apoptosis may lead to higher virus production and contribute to the persistence and oncogenicity of several FLIP-encoding viruses.

FLICE, a novel FADD-homologous ICE/CED-3-like protease, is recruited to the CD95 (Fas/APO-1) death--inducing signaling complex.

To identify CAP3 and CAP4, components of the CD95 (Fas/APO-1) death-inducing signaling complex, we utilized nano-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry, a recently developed technique to sequence femtomole quantities of polyacrylamide gel-separated proteins. Interestingly, CAP4 encodes a novel 55 kDa protein, designated FLICE, which has homology to both FADD and the ICE/CED-3 family of cysteine proteases. FLICE binds to the death effector domain of FADD and upon overexpression induces apoptosis that is blocked by the ICE family inhibitors, CrmA and z-VAD-fmk. CAP3 was identified as the FLICE prodomain which likely remains bound to the receptor after proteolytic activation. Taken together, this is unique biochemical evidence to link a death receptor physically to the proapoptotic proteases of the ICE/CED-3 family.