B. Tombal et al., Thapsigargin induces a calmodulin/calcineurin-dependent apoptotic cascade responsible for the death of prostatic cancer cells, PROSTATE, 43(4), 2000, pp. 303-317
BACKGROUND. New agents are required for the treatment of androgen-independe
nt prostate cancer. Due to the low rate of proliferation of these malignant
cells, agents which can activate the apoptotic death of these cells withou
t requiring the cells being in the proliferative cell cycle are critically
required. Thapsigargin (TG), via its ability to perturb intracellular free
calcium [Ca2+](i), is such a cell proliferation-independent cytotoxic agent
. The present study focuses on more completely describing the biochemical c
ascade during the apoptotic death of androgen-independent prostate cancer c
ells induced by TG and on the mechanistic requirements for this death.
METHODS. A variety of cell and molecular biology techniques (e.g., time-lap
se video, fluorescence image analysis, Northern and Western blotting) were
used to examine the temporal relationship between changes in [Ca2+](i) GADD
153 transcription, translocation of the NFATc transcription factor to the
nucleus, translocation of BAD from the cytosol to the mitochondria, caspase
9 activation, DNA fragmentation, and the loss of clonogenic survival induc
ed by TG treatment of both human TSU-prl and rat AT3.1 prostate cancer cell
s in vitro. Additional studies using both microinjection of inhibitors of c
almodulin and DNA transfections to induce expression of Ca2+ binding protei
ns, e.g., calbindin, were performed to evaluate the causal relationship bet
ween [Ca2+](i) elevation, calmodulin/calcineurin activation, and apoptosis
of prostate cancer cells.
RESULTS. Using simultaneous fluorescence ratiometric and phase contrast ima
ge analysis in individual cells followed longitudinally for several days, i
t was documented that TG induced early (1-12 hr) moderate (i.e., <500 nM) e
levation in [Ca2+](i). During this early rise in [Ca2+](i), genes like GADD
153 are induced at the transcriptional level. This early rise is followed
by a return of [Ca2+](i) to baseline (i.e., similar to 50 nM) before the in
duction of a delayed (i.e., >12 hr) secondary rise (similar to 10 mu M) in
[Ca2+](i). During the secondary rise in [Ca2+](i) Ca2+ binds to calcineurin
and calmodulin, allowing these proteins to form a complex which activates
calcineurin's latent phosphatase activity. Once activated, calcineurin deph
osphorylates NFATc and BAD, allowing translocation of these proteins to the
nucleus and mitochondria, respectively. BAD translocation induces the rele
ase of cytochrome C from the mitochondria into the cytoplasm, which results
in activation of caspase 9 and DNA fragmentation. If the TG-induced rise i
n [Ca2+](i) is blocked by overexpressing calbindin, or if calmodulin functi
on is inhibited, these apoptotic events are prevented.
CONCLUSIONS. TG induces the apoptotic death of prostate cancer cells via th
e activation of a reversible signaling phase induced by a transient nanomol
ar rise in [Ca2+], which involves new gene transcription and translation. T
his reversible signaling phase is followed by an irreversible commitment to
undergo the execution phase which is induced by a secondary micromolar ris
e in [Ca2+](i). This secondary [Ca2+](i) rise irreversibly commits the cell
to a calmodulin/calcineurin-dependent cascade, which results in DNA and ce
llular fragmentation into apoptotic bodies. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.