Nature 419, 634 - 637 (2002); Apoptosis initiated by Bcl-2-regulated caspase activation independently of the c ytochrome c/Apaf-1/caspase-9 apoptosome VANESSA S. MARSDEN*, LIAM O'CONNOR*?, LORRAINE A. O'REILLY*, JOHN SILKE*, DONALD METCALF*, PAUL G. EKERT*?, DAVID C. S. HUANG*, FRANCESCO CECCONI§, KEISUKE KUIDA?, KEVIN J. TOMASELLI#, SOPHIE ROY, DON W. NICHOLSON, DAVID L . VAUX*, PHILIPPE BOUILLET*, JERRY M. ADAMS*?? & ANDREAS STRASSER*?? * The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne, 3050, Australia ? Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, 3050, Australia § Department of biology, Universita Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy ? Genomic Pharmacology, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02 139, USA # Idun Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California 92121, USA Merck-Frosst, Pointe-Claire-Dorval H9H 3L1, Canada ?? These authors contributed equally to this work ? Present address: Incyte Genomics, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to A.S. (e-mail: s trasser@wehi.edu.au). Apoptosis is an evolutionarily conserved Cell suicide process executed by cystei ne proteases (caspases) and regulated by the opposing factions of the Bcl-2 prot ein family1, 2. Mammalian caspase-9 and its activator Apaf-1 were thought to be essential, because mice lacking either of them display neuronal hyperplasia and their lymphocytes and fibroblasts seem resistant to certain apoptotic stimuli3-6 . Because Apaf-1 requires cytochrome c to activate caspase-9, and Bcl-2 prevents mitochondrial cytochrome c release, Bcl-2 is widely believed to inhibit apoptos is by safeguarding mitochondrial membrane integrity7-9. Our results suggest a di fferent, broader role, because Bcl-2 overexpression increased lymphocyte numbers in mice and inhibited many apoptotic stimuli, but the absence of Apaf-1 or casp ase-9 did not. Caspase activity was still discernible in cells lacking Apaf-1 or caspase-9, and a potent caspase antagonist both inhibited apoptosis and retarde d cytochrome c release. We conclude that Bcl-2 regulates a caspase activation pr ogramme independently of the cytochrome c/Apaf-1/caspase-9 'apoptosome', which s eems to amplify rather than initiate the caspase cascade. How Bcl-2 prevents apoptosis remains hotly debated2, 7-10. Its Caenorhabditis el egans homologue CED-9 binds to the adapter CED-4 to prevent it from activating t he caspase CED-3 (ref. 1). Because the mammalian adaptor Apaf-1 does not bind to Bcl-2 (ref. 11) and requires cytochrome c to activate caspase-9, it is widely b elieved that the Bcl-2 family regulates mitochondrial membrane pores that releas e cytochrome c and other apoptogenic factors7-9. However, because mammalian Bcl- 2 can inhibit cell death in C. elegans1, 12, where no evidence for mitochondrial release of apoptogenic factors has emerged1, we and others have hypothesized th at Bcl-2 can regulate activation of initiator caspases independently of the cyto chrome c/Apaf-1/caspase-9 'apoptosome'2, 10, 11. To investigate whether the apoptosome is required for all apoptosis regulated by the Bcl-2 protein family, we have compared the impact of loss of Apaf-1 or casp ase-9 with that caused by Bcl-2 over-expression or loss of its antagonist Bim on programmed cell death in the haematopoietic system, where Apaf-1 and caspase-9 are widely expressed (Supplementary Fig. 1). In cytokine-supported cultures, fet al liver cells from wild-type, Apaf-1-/-, caspase-9-/- and vav–bcl-2 transgenic mice produced colonies of similar number, size and composition (Fig. 1a and data not shown). Without cytokine support, Bcl-2 overexpression protected the colony-forming cells up to 100-fold, but progenitors lacking caspase-9 or Apaf-1 died as rapidly as those from wild-type mice (Fig. 1a). Figure 1 Cytokine withdrawal-induced and programmed death of haematopoietic cel ls lacking Apaf-1 or caspase-9. Full legend High resolution image and legend (55k) Because most Apaf-1-deficient or caspase-9-deficient mice die before birth3-6, w e assessed the role of the apoptosome in haematopoietic homeostasis by reconstit uting this compartment of C57BL/6-Ly5.1 mice with fetal liver stem cells from th e mutant embryos, or from wild-type, Bim-deficient or vav–bcl-2 embryos. Lymphocytes of Apaf-1-/- or caspase-9-/- origin were no more numerous than those of wild-type origin in the thymus (Fig. 1b), spleen (Fig. 1c), lymph nodes or bone marrow (data not shown). In contrast, mice reconstituted with Bim-deficient or vav?Cbcl-2 stem cells had 3- to 5-fold more splenic B and T cells (Fig. 1c), as do u nmanipulated bim-/- and vav–bcl-2 mice13, 14. Thus, unlike Bim and Bcl-2, caspase-9 and Apaf-1 are not critical determinants of programmed cell death in haematopoiesis. To compare the role of these molecules in stress-induced apoptosis, we isolated donor-derived CD4+8+ thymocytes, pro-B cells and mature T and B cells from the r econstituted mice and tested their sensitivity to cytokine withdrawal, -radiatio n, etoposide and dexamethasone. None of these death responses required Apaf-1 or caspase-9. In thymocytes and activated B and T lymphoblasts, absence of either cell death protein afforded at most modest (<2-fold) 2="" 3="" 4="" 5="" 6="" 15="" 19="" 21="" 35="" protection,="" whereas="" in="" matu="" re="" t="" cells="" and="" pro-b="" cells,="" lack="" of="" caspase-9="" or="" apaf-1="" had="" no="" impact="" (fig.="" 2a,="" b,="" supplementary="" fig.="" data="" not="" shown).="" contrast,="" bcl-2="" markedly="" protect="" ed="" against="" all="" these="" apoptotic="" stimuli,="" and,="" as="" reported13,="" bim="" was="" required for="" death="" provoked="" by="" cytokine="" withdrawal="" but="" largely="" dispensable="" that="" indu="" ced="" dexamethasone="" etoposide.="" findings="" were="" restricted="" to="" haemato="" poietic="" cell="" types,="" because="" apaf-1-deficient="" caspase-9-deficient="" embryonic="" f="" ibroblasts="" sensitive="" wild-type="" loss="" attachment="" (anoikis)="" 2c).="" figure="" are="" induced="" grow="" th-factor="" withdrawal-="" stress-induced="" lymphocytes="" fibroblasts.="" full="" legend="" high="" resolution="" image="" (70k)="" the="" absence="" has="" previously="" been="" reported="" delay="" dea="" th="" fibroblasts="" dna="" damage="" cytotoxic="" drugs3-5,="" b="" ut="" those="" came="" from="" few="" mutant="" mice="" survived="" birth,="" i="" ll="" health="" may="" have="" selected stress-resistance.="" our="" fibroblast="" experi="" ments="" used="" a="" physiological="" stimulus,="" strong="" agents="" prev="" iously4,="" triggered="" apoptosome="" activation="" directly="" damaging="" mitocho="" ndria.="" also,="" some="" discrepancies="" reflect="" mixed="" genetic="" background="" pr="" eviously,="" this="" affects="" apaf-1-="" -="" phenotype="" (ref.="" f.c.,="" unpubl="" ished="" results).="" although="" stem="" treated="" with="" cyto="" toxic="" die="" non-apoptotic="" mechanism16,="" 17,="" we="" found="" hat="" underwent="" apoptosis.="" lymphoblasts="" deprived="" kine="" exhibited="" condensed="" chromatin="" plasma="" membrane="" blebbing="" 3a),="" d="" ying="" thymocytes="" hallmarks="" apoptosis,="" including="" -surface="" exposure="" phosphatidylserine="" (supplementary="" 4c,="" d),="" mito="" chondrial="" potential="" 4a)="" inter-nucleosomal="" c="" leavage,="" revealed="" laddering="" 3b)="" tunel="" reaction="" (tdt-medi="" ated="" dutp="" nick="" end="" labelling;="" see="" 4b).="" dying="" lymphocytes.="" caspases="" activated="" apoptosome?="" -irradiated="" muta="" nt="" two="" classical="" caspase="" substrates="" parp="" (poly(adp-ribose)="" polymerase="" )="" icad="" (inhibitor="" caspase-activated="" dnase,="" also="" known="" dff45;="" refs="" 18,="" 19)="" yielded="" fragments="" sizes="" seen="" albeit="" less="" effi="" ciently="" 4a).="" cleavage="" is="" consistent="" dn="" degradation="" 3c),="" proteolysis="" necessary="" free="" cad,="" relevant="" dnase18,="" 19.="" closely="" related="" effect="" caspases-3="" -7,="" which="" preferred="" devd="" specificity18,="" 19,="" lysates="" devdase="" activity="" fluorogenic="" substrate,="" alb="" eit="" about="" tenfold="" than="" due="" caspases,="" inhibitor="" devd-cho="" blocked="" it="" determi="" ne="" effector="" activated,="" immunoblots="" examined="" process="" ing="" zymogens="" (inactive="" precursors).="" thymocytes,="" processing="" pro-caspase-3="" -6="" 5).="" probably="" caspase-7,="" its="" precursor="" processed="" disc="" ernibly,="" 4a),="" becaus="" e="" extracts="" caspase-9-="" cleaved="" wit="" h="" mutation="" (d224e)="" caspase-7="" -3="" recognition="" site="" (davd224)18,="" 4c).="" linked="" none="" detecta="" ble="" irradiated="" protected="" overexpression="" 5c).="" apaf="" -1="" caspase-9.="" (85k)="" prote="" olysis="" caspase-dependent.="" (74k)="" determine="" whether="" caused="" ested="" recently="" described="" peptido-mimetic="" inhibitors="" block="" multiple casp="" ases="" specificity="" (refs="" 20,="" table="" 1).="" idn-1965="" str="" ongly="" inhibited="" dexamethasone-induced="" apoptosis="" well="" 5a).="" nearly="" did="" further="" enhance="" survival="" transgenic="" cel="" ls="" structurally="" distinct="" idn-6275="" 21)="" ffective="" (data="" shown),="" widely="" peptide-based="" z="" vad-fmk="" well,="" presumably="" owing="" li="" mited="" permeability="" short="" half-life.="" notably,="" wild-ty="" pe="" retarded="" cytochrome="" release="" mitochondria="" 6a).="" thus,="" be="" mitochon="" drial="" disruption.="" role="" mitochondrial="" disruption="" leg="" (50k)="" purify="" active="" responsible="" incu="" bated="" irreversible="" pseudo-substrate="" biotin-devd-aomk="" (at="" concentratio="" n="" enough="" react="" most="" caspases)="" biotinylated="" polypeptides="" covered="" on="" streptavidin="" column22.="" blots="" immortalized="" -1-="" myeloid="" etoposide="" at="" least="" three="" (="" p18,="" p26="" p35)="" absent="" untreated="" 6b).="" accord="" 4,="" immunoblotting="" identified="" p18="" fragment="" large="" subunit="" wh="" ereas="" represented="" caspase-1="" p="" antibodies to caspases 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 or 9, it has the size expected for a partially processed initiator caspase such as caspas e-11 or -12. Our results establish that the cell-death pathway controlled by Bcl-2 does not r equire caspase-9 or its activator Apaf-1. In keeping with our evidence (Fig. 1b, c) that neither is required for haematopoietic homeostasis, in which the Bcl-2 family has major roles10, deletion of thymocytes with self-reactivity depends on Bim23 but not on Apaf-1 (ref. 24). Because apoptosis was at most only slightly delayed by the absence of Apaf-1 or caspase-9 (Figs 2, 3 and Supplementary Figs 3, 4), we conclude that the apoptosome is not an essential trigger for apoptosis but is rather a machine for amplifying the caspase cascade (Fig. 6c). Presumabl y this amplification is needed much more in some cell types (for example, neuron al precursors) than others (for example, lymphocytes), perhaps depending on thei r complement of caspases, level of caspase inhibitors (for example, IAPs) or con tent of vital substrates. Although mitochondrial release of apoptogenic molecule s contributes to cell destruction7-9, apoptosis in the absence of the apoptosome seems to depend on caspase activity (Fig. 5a) and caspase-7 was identified as t he probable effector (Figs 4, 6b). The low level of caspase-7 activity observed (Figs 4a, b) would be expected in the absence of amplification by the apoptosome 3-6 but appears to be sufficient to demolish many cell types. Although all caspa se activation has been thought to require mitochondrial disruption7-9, efficient methods of caspase inhibition (Fig. 5 and ref. 25) reveal that caspase activati on may instead be required for mitochondrial membrane disruption. Cell death in Drosophila also seems not to require cytochrome c release26, 27. Which upstream caspase(s) might be responsible? In certain transformed cells cas pase-2 has been implicated25, but it cannot be the sole initiator, because the c aspase-2 knockout phenotype is unremarkable28 and caspase-2-/- lymphocytes and n eurons retain normal sensitivity to apoptotic stimuli29. In dying Apaf-1-deficie nt cells, we identified active caspase-1 and a polypeptide that may be processed caspase-11 or -12 (Fig. 6b). Because mice lacking caspases 1, 2, 11 or 12 displ ay no gross defects in apoptosis10, we propose that developmental and stress-ind uced apoptosis can be triggered by several initiator caspases acting in a redund ant manner and that, like CED-9 in C. elegans, Bcl-2 controls their activators ( Fig. 6c). These initiator caspases could either directly activate caspase-7, byp assing the mitochondrion, or mediate disruption of its outer membrane, to amplif y the caspase cascade through the apoptosome. Supplementary information accompanies this paper. Received 4 July 2002;accepted 3 September 2002 References 1. 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Lazebnik and P. Lassus for sharing unpublished res ults. We also thank P. Gruss for Apaf-1+/- mice, Y. Lazebnik and X. Opitz-Araya for monoclonal antibodies to caspases 3, 7 and 9, P. Vandenabeele and M. Kalai f or the anti-mouse caspase-1 antibody, R. Anderson for the anti-HSP70 antibody an d S. Nagata for the ICAD constructs. We thank E. Loza, A. Milligan, C. Tilbrook, A. Naughton and J. Merryful for animal care, F. Battye, D. Kaminaris, V. Lapati s, J. Chan and C. Tarlinton for cell sorting, S. Mifsud, L. DiRago, L.-C. Zhang and L. Tai for expert technical help and G. Filby for editorial assistance. We a re grateful to S. Cory, A. Harris, K. Newton and H. Puthalakath for discussions and critical reading of this manuscript. This work was supported by fellowships and grants from the Dr Josef Steiner Cancer Research Foundation, the NHMRC, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (SCOR Center), the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria , the Sylvia and Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation, the NIH, the AIRC and th e Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training. F.C. is an Assista nt Telethon Scientist. Competing interests statement. Th 等幾年看王曉東實(shí)驗(yàn)室對(duì)這篇的反應(yīng)