Alphaviruses induce apoptosis in Bcl-2-overexpressing cells: evidence for a caspase-mediated, proteolytic inactivation of Bcl-2

Grandgirard, Denis; Studer, Erwin; Monney, Laurent; Belser, Tanja; Fellay, Isabelle; Borner, Christoph; Michel, Marcel R. (1998). Alphaviruses induce apoptosis in Bcl-2-overexpressing cells: evidence for a caspase-mediated, proteolytic inactivation of Bcl-2. EMBO journal, 17(5), pp. 1268-1278. Nature Publishing Group 10.1093/emboj/17.5.1268

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Bcl-2 oncogene expression plays a role in the establishment of persistent viral infection by blocking virus-induced apoptosis. This might be achieved by preventing virus-induced activation of caspase-3, an IL-1beta-converting enzyme (ICE)-like cysteine protease that has been implicated in the death effector phase of apoptosis. Contrary to this model, we show that three cell types highly overexpressing functional Bcl-2 displayed caspase-3 activation and underwent apoptosis in response to infection with alphaviruses Semliki Forest and Sindbis as efficiently as vector control counterparts. In all three cell types, overexpressed 26 kDa Bcl-2 was cleaved into a 23 kDa protein. Antibody epitope mapping revealed that cleavage occurred at one or two target sites for caspases within the amino acid region YEWD31 (downward arrow) AGD34 (downward arrow) A, removing the N-terminal BH4 region known to be essential for the death-protective activity of Bcl-2. Preincubation of cells with the caspase inhibitor Z-VAD prevented Bcl-2 cleavage and partially restored the protective activity of Bcl-2 against virus-induced apoptosis. Moreover, a murine Bcl-2 mutant having Asp31, Asp34 and Asp36 substituted by Glu was resistant to proteolytic cleavage and abrogated apoptosis following virus infection. These findings indicate that alphaviruses can trigger a caspase-mediated inactivation of Bcl-2 in order to evade the death protection imposed by this survival factor.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Head Organs and Neurology (DKNS) > Clinic of Neurology
08 Faculty of Science > Department of Biology > Institute of Cell Biology
04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute for Infectious Diseases > Research
04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute for Infectious Diseases

UniBE Contributor:

Grandgirard, Denis, Studer, Erwin

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health
500 Science > 570 Life sciences; biology

ISSN:

0261-4189

Publisher:

Nature Publishing Group

Language:

English

Submitter:

Denis Grandgirard

Date Deposited:

25 Aug 2014 11:34

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 14:34

Publisher DOI:

10.1093/emboj/17.5.1268

PubMed ID:

9482724

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.52806

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/52806

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