okadaic-acid and Tongue-Neoplasms

In the present study, we used western blot and RT-PCR analysis to examine the expression of proteins and mRNAs of Fas receptor and Fas ligand in human oral squamous carcinoma SCC-25 cells treated with okadaic acid. Treatment with okadaic acid enhanced the expression of proteins and mRNAs of both Fas receptor and Fas ligand in SCC-25 cells. The amount of IkappaB-alpha in whole cell lysates decreased, while the level of NF-kappaB in nucleus increased, in the okadaic acid-treated cells. Okadaic acid-treatment also alters the cellular localization of NF-kappaB, from cytoplasm to nuclei. To investigate the activation of NF-kappaB in okadaic acid-treated SCC-25 cells, we performed electrophoretic mobility gel shift assay using nuclear extracts and the consensus oligonucleotide for NF-kappaB DNA binding site. The binding of nuclear proteins to the oligonucleotide of NF-kappaB increased when the cells had been treated with 20 nM okadaic acid for 4 h. We transfected the cells with pFLF1, which has the promoter region of Fas receptor gene containing NF-kappaB binding site. A luciferase reporter gene assay demonstrated that the activity in the cells transfected with pFLF1 and treated with 20 nM okadaic acid increased in a time-dependent manner and that the activity was more than three-fold over that in the control cells. Our results suggest that NF-kappaB activated at early stages in the okadaic acid-treated SCC-25 cells stimulated the promoter activity of Fas receptor in the cells leading to the apoptotic death of these cells.

Topics: Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Enzyme Inhibitors; Fas Ligand Protein; fas Receptor; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; I-kappa B Proteins; Ligands; Membrane Glycoproteins; Neoplasm Proteins; NF-kappa B; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; Okadaic Acid; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Tongue Neoplasms; Transfection; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Fas receptor is a member of a superfamily of receptors characterized by cysteine-rich motifs in the extracellular domain of the molecule. Binding of Fas ligand to Fas receptor leads to activation of the latter and the induction of intracellular signals that result in apoptotic cell death. In the present study, we used reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis to examine the expression of mRNAs and proteins of Fas receptor and Fas ligand in human oral squamous carcinoma SCC-25 cells treated with okadaic acid. The PCR product of Fas receptor mRNA was detected in the cells and a protein with an estimated molecular weight of 35,000 was also expressed in them. Expression of Fas receptor mRNA stimulated by okadaic acid was elevated in dose- and time-dependent manners as judged by semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis, with the maximum expression level at 50 nM and 8 h treatment. Fas ligand mRNA expression was also stimulated by okadaic acid in SCC-25 cells in dose- and time-dependent manners. Okadaic acid also stimulated the expression of Fas ligand protein in the cells. Okadaic acid in serum-free medium induced apoptosis in SCC-25 cells in a time-dependent manner up to 24 h as determined by nuclear condensation and fragmentation of chromatin and DNA ladder formation. The present results indicate that the expression of Fas receptor and Fas ligand is negatively regulated by a protein phosphatase(s) sensitive to okadaic acid and is involved in okadaic acid-induced apoptosis in SCC-25 cells. Our results also suggest that Fas receptor and Fas ligand system might regulate apoptosis in SCC-25 cells in an autocrine fashion.

Topics: Apoptosis; Blotting, Western; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Culture Media, Serum-Free; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Enzyme Inhibitors; Fas Ligand Protein; fas Receptor; Humans; Membrane Glycoproteins; Neoplasm Proteins; Okadaic Acid; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger; Tongue Neoplasms; Tumor Cells, Cultured