Sm. Chuang et al., Roles of JNK, p38 and ERK mitogen-activated protein kinases in the growth inhibition and apoptosis induced by cadmium, CARCINOGENE, 21(7), 2000, pp. 1423-1432
Cadmium (Cd), a human carcinogen, can induce apoptosis in various cell type
s. Three major mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), c-JUN N-terminal
kinase (JNK), p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), have bee
n shown to regulate apoptosis, In this study we explore the ability of Cd t
o activate JNK, p38 and ERK, including their effects on Cd-mediated growth
inhibition and apoptosis in a human non-small cell lung carcinoma cell line
, CL3, The kinase activity of JNK was induced dose-dependently by 30-160 mu
M CdCl2. Nigh cytotoxic doses of Cd (130-160 mu M) markedly activated p38,
but low Cd doses did not. Conversely, the activities of ERK1 and ERK2 were
decreased by low cytotoxic doses of Cd (less than or equal to 80 mu M) and
moderately activated by high Cd doses. Low cytotoxic doses of Cd transient
ly activated JNK and simultaneously reduced ERK activity, whereas high cyto
toxic doses of Cd persistently activated JNK and p38, PD98059, an inhibitor
of ERK upstream activators MAPK kinase (MKK) 1 and MKK2, greatly enhanced
cytotoxicity and apoptosis in cells treated with low Cd doses. In contrast,
SB202190, an inhibitor of p38, decreased the cytotoxicity and apoptosis in
duced by high Cd doses, Transient expression of a dominant negative form of
JNK1, but not that of JNK2, significantly increased the viability and prev
ented apoptosis of Cd-treated cells. However, expression of wild-type JNK1
did not affect viability and apoptosis of Cd-treated cells, Transfection of
wild-type JNK2 or p38 enhanced apoptosis of cells exposed to low Cd doses
but did not affect those exposed to high Cd doses. The JNK activity stimula
ted by low Cd doses was partially suppressed by expression of a dominant ne
gative form of MKK7, but not a dominant negative form of MKK4, indicating t
hat MKK7 is involved in JNK activation by Cd, Together, the results of this
study suggest that JNK and p38 cooperatively participate in apoptosis indu
ced by Cd and that the decreased ERK signal induced by low Cd doses contrib
utes to growth inhibition or apoptosis.