N. Droin et al., Identification of a caspase-2 isoform that behaves as an endogenous inhibitor of the caspase cascade, CANCER RES, 60(24), 2000, pp. 7039-7047
Procaspase-2 is one of the aspartate-specific cysteine proteases that are a
ctivated in response to various apoptotic stimuli. Two isoforms of human pr
ocaspase-2 have been described initially. Overexpression of the long isofor
m (caspase-2L) promotes cell death whereas the short isoform (caspase-2S) a
ntagonizes some apoptotic pathways. In the present study, we Identified two
additional CASP-2 mRNAs, designated CASP-2L-Pro and CASP-2S-Pro. The prote
ins encoded by these isoforms corresponded to the prodomain of procaspase-2
L and -2S, in which the last alpha -helix of their caspase recruitment doma
ins was deleted. Caspase-2L-Pro mRNA and protein were detected in a series
of human tissues and cell lines. Yeast 2-hybrid assays and immunoprecipitat
ion studies indicated that caspase-2L-Pro can interact with procaspase-2L a
nd the adaptor protein RAIDD/CRADD, but not with FADD/MORT1 or APAF-1 adapt
or proteins. The addition of recombinant caspase-2L-Pro negatively interfer
ed with cytochrome c/dATP-mediated activation of the caspase cascade in a c
ell-free system. In transient expression studies of human B lymphoma Namalw
a cells, overexpression of caspase-2L-Pro weakly induced apoptosis, which w
as prevented by a D83A/E87A double mutation. In stable selected CASP-2L-Pro
-transfected Namalwa cells, overexpression of caspase-2L-Pro delayed apopto
tic DNA fragmentation induced by death receptor agonists (anti-Fas antibodi
es, tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and DNA topoisomerase I- (camptothecin) an
d II- (etoposide) inhibitors, and prevented etoposide-induced activation of
the caspase cascade. These inhibitory effects were not observed in stable
transfected cells expressing the D83A/E87A double mutant. Altogether, these
data indicated that the caspase-2L-Pro isoform functions as an endogenous
apoptosis inhibitory protein that antagonizes caspase activation and cell d
eath.