Dietary isothiocyanate mediated apoptosis of human cancer cells is associated with Bcl-xL phosphorylation

  • Authors:
    • Aruna Basu
    • Subrata Haldar
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: October 1, 2008     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo_00000051
  • Pages: 657-663
Metrics: Total Views: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )
Total PDF Downloads: 0 (Spandidos Publications: | PMC Statistics: )


Abstract

Benzylisothiocyanate (BITC), a major phase II enzyme inducer in the organic solvent of papaya fruit, has been shown to induce apoptosis specifically in cancer cells. The exposure of pancreatic, prostate as well as leukemic cells to this dietary isothiocyanate resulted in significant extent of apoptosis as evident from PARP cleavage, chromatin condensation or profound attenuation of procaspase-3 level. We also investigated whether BITC induces apoptosis by converging two major pathways: the death receptor mediated extrinsic and the mitochondrial intrinsic pathway. The exogenous expression of dominant-negative caspase-8 or dominant-negative caspase-9 can attenuate BITC-mediated cell death of prostate cancer cells. In parallel with this observation, BITC can activate both procaspase-8 and -9 in pancreatic and prostate cancer cells. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis demonstrated the enrichment of sub-G0-G1 phase population with G2-M arrest in BITC challenged pancreatic cancer cells. In order to comprehend the molecular mechanism underlying the relationship between BITC-mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis we report here for the first time that the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL was phosphorylated by BITC treatment. Subsequent investigation using Jun kinase inhibitor exhibits the involvement of Jun kinase in BITC triggered Bcl-xL phosphorylation and apoptosis.

Related Articles

Journal Cover

October 2008
Volume 33 Issue 4

Print ISSN: 1019-6439
Online ISSN:1791-2423

Sign up for eToc alerts

Recommend to Library

Copy and paste a formatted citation
x
Spandidos Publications style
Basu A and Basu A: Dietary isothiocyanate mediated apoptosis of human cancer cells is associated with Bcl-xL phosphorylation. Int J Oncol 33: 657-663, 2008
APA
Basu, A., & Basu, A. (2008). Dietary isothiocyanate mediated apoptosis of human cancer cells is associated with Bcl-xL phosphorylation. International Journal of Oncology, 33, 657-663. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo_00000051
MLA
Basu, A., Haldar, S."Dietary isothiocyanate mediated apoptosis of human cancer cells is associated with Bcl-xL phosphorylation". International Journal of Oncology 33.4 (2008): 657-663.
Chicago
Basu, A., Haldar, S."Dietary isothiocyanate mediated apoptosis of human cancer cells is associated with Bcl-xL phosphorylation". International Journal of Oncology 33, no. 4 (2008): 657-663. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo_00000051