Abstract
Background: TRAIL (TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand) is a newly identified member of the TNF gene family which appears to have tumor-selective cytotoxicity due to the distinct decoy receptor system. TRAIL has direct access to caspase machinery and induces apoptosis regardless of p53 phenotype. Therefore, TRAIL has a therapeutic potential in lung cancer which frequently harbors p53 mutation in more than 50% of cases. However, it was shown that TRAIL also could activates $NF-{\kappa}B$ in some cell lines which might inhibit TRAIL-induced apoptosis. This study was designed to investigate whether TRAIL can activate $NF-{\kappa}B$ in lung cancer cell lines relatively resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis and inhibition of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation using proteasome inhibitor MG132 which blocks $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation can sensitize lung cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Methods: A549 (wt p53) and NCI-H1299 (null p53) lung cancer cells were used and cell viability test was done by MTT assay. Apoptosis was confirmed with Annexin V assay followed by FACS analysis. To study $NF-{\kappa}B$-dependent transcriptional activation, a luciferase reporter gene assay was used after making A549 and NCI-H1299 cells stably transfected with IgG ${\kappa}-NF-{\kappa}B$ luciferase construct. To investigate DNA binding of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activated by TRAIL, electromobility shift assay was used and supershift assay was done using anti-p65 antibody. Western blot was done for the study of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation. Results: A549 and NCI-H1299 cells were relatively resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis showing only 20~30% cell death even at the concentration 100 ng/ml, but MG132 ($3{\mu}M$) pre-treatment 1 hour prior to TRAIL addition greatly increased cell death more than 80%. Luciferase assay showed TRAIL-induced $NF-{\kappa}B$ transcriptional activity in both cell lines. Electromobility shift assay demonstrated DNA binding complex of $NF-{\kappa}B$ activated by TRAIL and supershift with p65 antibody. $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation was proven by western blot. MG132 completely blocked both TRAIL-induced $NF-{\kappa}B$ dependent luciferase activity and DNA binding of $NF-{\kappa}B$. Conclusion: This results suggest that inhibition of $NF-{\kappa}B$ can be a potentially useful strategy to enhance TRAIL-induced tumor cell killing in lung cancer.
연구배경: 정상세포는 보호되고 종양세포에 독성을 보인다고 알려진 TNF유전자족으로 새로이 확인된 TRAIL이 폐암세포에서 보이는 아포프토시스 효과를 확인하고, 아포프토시스로부터 세포를 보호하는 전사인자 $NF-{\kappa}B$가 TRAIL에 의하여 활성화 되는 정도를 평가하여 MG132의 $NF-{\kappa}B$활성억제가 TRAIL 유도성 아포프토시스를 감작시키는지를 확인하기 위하여 본 연구를 시행하였다. 방법: A549(wt p53) 및 NCI-H1299(null p53) 폐암세포주를 사용하였다. 세포독성 검사는 MTT assay를 이용하였고 아포프토시스는 Annexin V assay와 FACS 분석을 이용하였다. $NF-{\kappa}B$ 전사활성은 luciferase reporter gene assay를 이용하였고 $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ 분해는 western blot을 이용하였으며, TRAIL에 의해 활성화된 $NF-{\kappa}B$와 DNA 결합은 electromobility shift assay와 anti-p65 antibody를 이용한 supershift assay로 확인하였다. 결과: 1) TRAIL 100 ng/ml 농도에서 wild-type p53인 A549 폐암세포는 34.4%, p53 null인 NCI-H1299 폐암세포는 26.4%의 세포사를 관찰하였다. 2) Luciferase reporter gene assay로서 TRAIL에 의한 $NF-{\kappa}B$의 활성이 A549 $IgG{\kappa}B-luc$세포에서 2.45배 증가하고 NCI-H1299 $IgG{\kappa}B-luc$세포에서는 1.47배 증가함을 관찰하여 TRAIL에 의하여 $NF-{\kappa}B$가 활성화됨을 확인하였다. 3) MG132의 전처치로 TRAIL에 의한 $NF-{\kappa}B$의 활성이 A549 세포와 NCI-H1299 세포에서 각각 기저수준의 0.24, 0.21배로 강력히 억제되었다. 4) TRAIL단독으로 30% 전후의 세포독성이 MG132 전처치 후 TRAIL을 투여하면 두 세포주 모두에서 80% 이상의 세포독성이 관찰되어 MG132가 TRAIL유도성 아포프토시스에 감작효과가 있음을 확인하였다. 결론: 이상의 결과로 TRAIL에 상대적인 내성을 보이는 폐암세포주에서 MG132가 $NF-{\kappa}B$ 활성억제로서 TRAIL유도성 아포프토시스를 강화시키는 효과가 있음을 확인할 수 있었다. 따라서 본 연구는 향후 폐암치료에 있어서 TRAIL유도성 아포프토시스가 이용될 수 있는 가능성을 확인한 기초자료가 된다고 생각된다.
