Caspase-independent induction of apoptosis in human melanoma cells by the proapoptotic Bcl-2-related protein Nbk/Bik

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Item Type:	Article
Title:	Caspase-independent induction of apoptosis in human melanoma cells by the proapoptotic Bcl-2-related protein Nbk/Bik
Creators Name:	Oppermann, M., Geilen, C.C., Fecker, L.F., Gillissen, B., Daniel, P.T. and Eberle, J.
Abstract:	The proapoptotic BH3-only protein natural born killer / Bcl-2 interacting killer (Nbk/Bik) has been described to inhibit Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, thereby supporting the death promoting ability of Bax. In order to evaluate its function in melanoma, we investigated the response after Nbk/Bik overexpression in cultured human melanoma cells and in a melanoma mouse model. Untransfected melanoma cell lines expressed Nbk/Bik only weakly at the mRNA and protein level. Conditional expression of Nbk/Bik by applying the inducible tetracycline-responsive expression system triggered apoptosis and enhanced sensitivity to proapoptotic stimuli as to agonistic CD95 activation and to chemotherapeutics etoposide, doxorubicin and pamidronate. For investigating the effects of Nbk/Bik in vivo, stably transfected melanoma cells were subcutaneously injected into nude mice. Significantly delayed tumor growth was the result when mice received doxycycline for induction of Nbk/Bik expression. By investigating the mechanism of Nbk/Bik-induced cell death, typical hallmarks of apoptosis such as DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation were seen after induction. Interestingly, no indications for cytochrome c release and caspase processing were found, and selective caspase inhibition remained without effect. These data indicate the high potential of Nbk/Bik in regulating apoptosis in melanoma by a caspase-independent pathway and may corroborate the potency of novel antimelanoma strategies based on activation of BH3-only proteins such as Nbk/Bik.
Keywords:	Nbk/Bik, BH3-only, Melanoma, Apoptosis
Source:	Oncogene
ISSN:	0950-9232
Publisher:	Nature Publishing Group
Volume:	24
Page Range:	7369-7380
Date:	4 July 2005
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1208890
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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