Ataxia telangiectasia-mutated gene product inhibits DNA damage-induced apoptosis via ceramide synthase Journal Article


Authors: Liao, W. C.; Haimovitz-Friedman, A.; Persaud, R. S.; McLoughlin, M.; Ehleiter, D.; Zhang, N.; Gatei, M.; Lavin, M.; Kolesnick, R.; Fuks, Z.
Article Title: Ataxia telangiectasia-mutated gene product inhibits DNA damage-induced apoptosis via ceramide synthase
Abstract: DNA double-stranded breaks (dsb) activate surveillance systems that identify DNA damage and either initiate repair or signal cell death. Failure of cells to undergo appropriate death in response to DNA damage leads to misrepair, mutations, and neoplastic transformation. Pathways linking DNA dsb to reproductive or apoptotic death are virtually unknown. Here we report that metabolic incorporation of 125I-labeled 5-iodo-2'deoxyuridine, which produces DNA dsb, signaled de novo ceramide synthesis by post-translational activation of ceramide synthase (CS) and apoptosis. CS activation was obligatory, since fumonisin B1, a fungal pathogen that acts as a specific CS inhibitor, abrogated DNA damage-induced death. X-irradiation yielded similar results. Furthermore, inhibition of apoptosis using the peptide caspase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp fluoromethylketone did not affect CS activation, indicating this event is not a consequence of induction of apoptosis. ATM, the gene mutated in ataxia telangiectasia, is a member of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase family that constitutes the DNA damage surveillance/repair system. Epstein-Barr virus-immortalized B cell lines from six ataxia telangiectasia patients with different mutations exhibited radiation-induced CS activation, ceramide generation, and apoptosis, whereas three lines from normal patients failed to manifest these responses. Stable transfection of wild type ATM cDNA reversed these events, whereas antisense inactivation of ataxia telangiectasia-mutated gene product in normal B cells conferred the ataxia telangiectasia phenotype. We propose that one of the functions of ataxia telangiectasia-mutated gene product is to constrain activation of CS, thereby regulating DNA damage-induced apoptosis.
Keywords: adult; controlled study; gene mutation; human cell; dna-binding proteins; nonhuman; proteins; animal cell; phenotype; animals; cell cycle proteins; dna damage; dna repair; apoptosis; cell line; gene product; enzyme activation; caspase inhibitor; caspases; phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase; b lymphocyte; dna strand breakage; endothelium cell; double stranded dna; genetic transfection; iodine 125; enzyme inhibitors; protein-serine-threonine kinases; tumor suppressor proteins; cattle; oxidoreductases; oligopeptides; epstein barr virus; x irradiation; complementary dna; carboxylic acids; ceramide; oligonucleotides, antisense; ataxia telangiectasia; sphingosine acyltransferase; cell immortalization; cycloheximide; fumonisin b1; idoxuridine; humans; human; priority journal; article; fumonisins
Journal Title: Journal of Biological Chemistry
Volume: 274
Issue: 25
ISSN: 0021-9258
Publisher: American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology  
Date Published: 1999-06-18
Start Page: 17908
End Page: 17917
Language: English
DOI: 10.1074/jbc.274.25.17908
PUBMED: 10364237
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 16 August 2016 -- Source: Scopus
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  1. Wen-Chieh Liao
    13 Liao
  2. Richard N Kolesnick
    300 Kolesnick