Sg. Cho et G. Dawson, Palmitoyl protein thioesterase 1 protects against apoptosis mediated by Ras-Akt-caspase pathway in neuroblastoma cells, J NEUROCHEM, 74(4), 2000, pp. 1478-1488
Palmitoyl protein thioesterase (PPT) 1 is an enzyme involved in deacylation
of palmitoylated proteins. A deficiency in PPT1 results in a genetic disea
se, infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, associated with massive death
of cortical neurons. The role of PPT1 in neuronal survival and apoptosis w
as studied in human neuroblastoma (LA-N-5) cells overexpressing PPT1. Overe
xpression of PPT1 was shown both by the 200-350% increase in depalmitoylati
ng activity over basal level (as determined by an in vitro PPT assay) and b
y western blot analysis of transiently expressed epitope-tagged PPT1. Overe
xpressed PPT1 showed the same acidic pH optimum (pH 4.0) as the endogenous
enzyme, when assayed with a P-0-derived octapeptide substrate, and reduced
the growth rate by 30%. LA-N-5 cells underwent apoptosis, as evidenced by i
ncreased caspase 3-like activity and increased DNA fragmentation, when chal
lenged with either C-2-ceramide or a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibito
r (LY294002). Overexpression of PPT1 inhibited this C-2-ceramide- or LY2940
02-mediated activation of caspase-3 by 50%. There was also a concomitant de
crease in DNA fragmentation and cell death. Consistent with increased resis
tance to apoptosis, we found increased phosphorylation of the antiapoptotic
protein Akt (protein kinase B) in PPT1-overexpressing cells. p21(Ras) is k
nown to be dynamically palmitoylated and depalmitoylated and is involved in
both growth and cell death. The C-2-ceramide-induced membrane association
of p21(Ras) was reduced by 30-50% in PPT1-overexpressing cells compared wit
h control. PPT overexpression also led to reduced membrane association of a
nother palmitoylated protein, GAP-43, a neuron-specific protein. Our studie
s suggest that protein palmitoylation could be a physiological regulator of
apoptosis.