HA14-1 potentiates apoptosis in B-cell cancer cells sensitive to a peptide disrupting IP 3 receptor / Bcl-2 complexes

Int J Dev Biol. 2015;59(7-9):391-8. doi: 10.1387/ijdb.150213gb.

Abstract

Anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) is commonly upregulated in hematological cancers, including B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), thereby protecting neoplastic cells from oncogenic-stress-induced apoptosis. Bcl-2 executes its anti-apoptotic function at two different sites in the cell. At the mitochondria, Bcl-2 via its hydrophobic cleft interacts with pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members to inhibit apoptosis. At the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Bcl-2 via its Bcl-2 homology (BH)4 domain, prevents excessive Ca(2+) signals by interacting with the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R), an intracellular Ca(2+)-release channel. A peptide tool (BIRD-2) that targets the BH4 domain of Bcl-2 reverses Bcl-2's inhibitory action on IP3Rs and can trigger pro-apoptotic Ca(2+)signals in B-cell cancer cells. Here, we explored whether HA14-1, a Bcl-2 inhibitor that also inhibits sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPases (SERCA), could potentiate BIRD-2-induced cell death. We measured apoptosis in Annexin V/7-AAD stained cells using flow cytometry and intracellular Ca(2+) signals in Fura2-AM-loaded cells using an automated fluorescent plate reader. HA14-1 potentiated BIRD-2-induced Ca(2+) release from the ER and apoptosis in both BIRD-2-sensitive DLBCL cell lines (SU-DHL-4) and in primary B-CLL cells. BIRD-2-resistant DLBCL cells (OCI-LY-1) were already very sensitive to HA14-1. Yet, although BIRD-2 moderately increased Ca(2+) levels in HA14-1-treated cells, apoptosis was not potentiated by BIRD-2 in these cells. These results further underpin the relevance of IP3R-mediated Ca(2+) signaling as a therapeutic target in the treatment of Bcl-2-dependent B-cell malignancies and the advantage of combination regimens with HA14-1 to enhance BIRD-2-induced cell death.

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis / drug effects*
  • B-Lymphocytes / drug effects
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • B-Lymphocytes / pathology
  • Benzopyrans / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptors / metabolism*
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / metabolism
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / pathology*
  • Nitriles / pharmacology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism*

Substances

  • BCL2 protein, human
  • Benzopyrans
  • Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptors
  • Nitriles
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • ethyl 2-amino-6-bromo-4-(1-cyano-2-ethoxy-2-oxoethyl)-4H-chromene-3-carboxylate