Abstract
We studied the involvement of interferon-regulated, PKR on 2-ME-mediated actions in human osteosarcoma cells. Our results show that PKR is activated by 2-ME treatment and is necessary for 2-ME-mediated induction of osteosarcoma cell death. Introduction: Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor and most frequently develops during adolescence. 2-Methoxyestradiol (2-ME), a metabolite of 17β-estradiol, induces interferon gene expression and apoptosis in human osteosarcoma cells. In this report, we studied the role of interferon-regulated double-stranded (ds)RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) protein on 2-ME-mediated cell death in human osteosarcoma cells. Materials and Methods: Western blot analyses were used to measure PKR protein and phosphorylation levels. Cell survival and apoptosis assays were measured using trypan blue exclusion and Hoechst dye methods, respectively. A transient transfection protocol was used to express the dominant negative PKR mutants. Results and Conclusions: PKR was increased in 2-ME-treated MG63 cells, whereas 17β-estradiol, 4-hydroxyestradiol, and 16α-hydroxyestradiol, which do not induce cell death, had no effect on PKR protein levels. Also, 2-ME treatment induced PKR kinase activity as indicated by increased autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of the endogenous substrate, eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)-2α. dsRNA poly (I) poly (C), an activator of PKR protein, increased cell death when osteosarcoma cells were treated with a submaximal concentration of 2-ME. In contrast, a serine-threonine kinase inhibitor SB203580 and a specific PKR inhibitor 2-aminopurine (2-AP) blocked the 2-ME-induced cell death in MG63 cells. A dominant negative PKR mutant protein conferred resistance to 2-ME-induced cell death to MG63 osteosarcoma and 2-ME-mediated PKR regulation did not require interferon gene expression. PKR protein is activated in cell free extracts by 2-ME treatment, resulting in autophosphorylation and in the phosphorylation of the substrate eIF-2α. We conclude from these results that PKR is regulated by 2-ME independently of interferon and is essential for 2-ME-mediated cell death in MG63 osteosarcoma cells.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 29-36 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of Bone and Mineral Research |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2007 |
Keywords
- Double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase
- Estrogen metabolite
- Interferon
- MG63 cells
- Protein kinase
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine