Cellular inhibitor of apoptosis (cIAP)-mediated ubiquitination of phosphofurin acidic cluster sorting protein 2 (PACS-2) negatively regulates tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) cytotoxicity

PLoS One. 2014 Mar 14;9(3):e92124. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092124. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Lysosomal membrane permeabilization is an essential step in TRAIL-induced apoptosis of liver cancer cell lines. TRAIL-induced lysosomal membrane permeabilization is mediated by the multifunctional sorting protein PACS-2 and repressed by the E3 ligases cIAP-1 and cIAP-2. Despite the opposing roles for PACS-2 and cIAPs in TRAIL-induced apoptosis, an interaction between these proteins has yet to be examined. Herein, we report that cIAP-1 and cIAP-2 confer TRAIL resistance to hepatobiliary cancer cell lines by reducing PACS-2 levels. Under basal conditions, PACS-2 underwent K48-linked poly-ubiquitination, resulting in PACS-2 proteasomal degradation. Biochemical assays showed cIAP-1 and cIAP-2 interacted with PACS-2 in vitro and co-immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that the two cIAPs bound PACS-2 in vivo. More importantly, both cIAP-1 and cIAP-2 directly mediated PACS-2 ubiquitination in a cell-free assay. Single c-Iap-1 or c-Iap-2 gene knock-outs in mouse hepatocytes did not lead to PACS-2 accumulation. However, deletion of both cIAP-1 and cIAP-2 reduced PACS-2 ubiquitination, which increased PACS-2 levels and sensitized HuH-7 cells to TRAIL-induced lysosomal membrane permeabilization and apoptosis. Correspondingly, deletion of cIAPs sensitized wild-type, but not PACS-2-deficient hepatocarcinoma cells or Pacs-2-/- mouse hepatocytes to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Together, these data suggest cIAPs constitutively downregulate PACS-2 by polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation, thereby restraining TRAIL-induced killing of liver cancer cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Baculoviral IAP Repeat-Containing 3 Protein
  • Biomimetic Materials / pharmacology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Hepatocytes / cytology
  • Hepatocytes / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / metabolism*
  • Intracellular Membranes / drug effects
  • Intracellular Membranes / metabolism
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / injuries
  • Lysosomes / drug effects
  • Lysosomes / metabolism
  • Mitochondrial Proteins / metabolism
  • Permeability / drug effects
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / metabolism
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational / drug effects
  • Proteolysis / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / pharmacology
  • TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / toxicity*
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Ubiquitination / drug effects*
  • Vesicular Transport Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins
  • Mitochondrial Proteins
  • PACS2 protein, human
  • TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand
  • Vesicular Transport Proteins
  • BIRC3 protein, human
  • Baculoviral IAP Repeat-Containing 3 Protein
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex