Enhancement of paclitaxel-induced breast cancer cell death via the glycogen synthase kinase-3β-mediated B-cell lymphoma 2 regulation

BMB Rep. 2016 Jan;49(1):51-6. doi: 10.5483/BMBRep.2016.49.1.102.

Abstract

Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that is known to mediate cancer cell death. Here, we show that B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), an anti-apoptotic protein, is regulated by GSK-3β and that GSK-3β-mediated regulation of Bcl-2 is crucial for mitochondrial-dependent cell death in paclitaxel-stimulated cells. We demonstrate that MCF7 GSK-3β siRNA cells are more sensitive to cell death than MCF7 GFP control cells and that in the absence of GSK-3β, Bcl-2 levels are reduced, a result enhanced by paclitaxel. Paclitaxel-induced JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) activation is critical for Bcl-2 modulation. In the absence of GSK-3β, Bcl-2 was unstable in an ubiquitination-dependent manner in both basal- and paclitaxeltreated cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that GSK-3β-mediated regulation of Bcl-2 influences cytochrome C release and mitochondrial membrane potential. Taken together, our data suggest that GSK-3β-dependent regulation of Bcl-2 is crucial for mitochondria-dependent cell death in paclitaxel-mediated breast cancer therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis / drug effects*
  • Cytochromes c / metabolism
  • DNA Fragmentation / drug effects
  • Enzyme Activation / drug effects
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / drug effects
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / genetics
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / metabolism*
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
  • Humans
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • MCF-7 Cells
  • Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / drug effects
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • Paclitaxel / pharmacology*
  • Protein Stability / drug effects
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism*
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Ubiquitination

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Cytochromes c
  • GSK3B protein, human
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
  • JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3
  • Paclitaxel