M. Chakraborty et al., Par-4 drives trafficking and activation of Fas and FasL to induce prostatecancer cell apoptosis and tumor regression, CANCER RES, 61(19), 2001, pp. 7255-7263
Prostate cancer cells are generally resistant to apoptosis by conventional
therapy. During a search for molecules that may overcome prostate cancer ce
ll survival mechanisms, we identified the prostate apoptosis response-4 (Pa
r-4) gene. Par-4 induced apoptosis of selective prostate cancer cells PC-3,
DU-145, and TSU-Pr and caused tumor regression by inhibition of NF-kappaB
activity and cell membrane trafficking of Fas and FasL that leads to the ac
tivation of the Fas-Fas-associated death domain-caspase-8 pro-death pathway
. Neither Fas pathway activation alone nor inhibition of NF-kappaB activity
with I kappaB-super repressor was sufficient to induce apoptosis of prosta
te cancer cells. Coregulation of these two pathways was essential and suffi
cient for Par-4 to induce apoptosis, On the other hand, prostate cancer cel
ls LNCaP or normal prostatic epithelial cells that were resistant to apopto
sis by Par-4 did not show Fas or FasL trafficking. These findings identify
a mechanism of apoptosis by Par-4 and suggest that Par-4 may have therapeut
ic potential.