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  • Title: Subcellular localization of caspase-3 activation correlates with changes in apoptotic morphology in MOLT-4 leukemia cells exposed to X-ray irradiation.
    Author: Feng Y, Hu J, Xie D, Qin J, Zhong Y, Li X, Xiao W, Wu J, Tao D, Zhang M, Zhu Y, Song Y, Reed E, Li QQ, Gong J.
    Journal: Int J Oncol; 2005 Sep; 27(3):699-704. PubMed ID: 16077919.
    Abstract:
    Caspase-3 is a critical effector caspase for apoptosis, which cleaves proteins, including cytoskeletal and associated proteins, kinases, and members of the Bcl-2 family of apoptosis-related proteins. This leads to changes in apoptotic morphology, such as membrane externalization and cytoplasm and nuclear condensation. It has been reported that pro-caspase-3 is activated in the cytosol. However, it remains obscure how caspase-3 activation correlates to serial changes in cell morphology during apoptosis. The current study was therefore undertaken to assess the relationship between caspase-3 activation and its subcellular localization and alterations in apoptotic morphology in MOLT-4 human leukemia cells exposed to X-ray irradiation. Fluorescence labeled inhibitor of caspases (FLICA) was used to detect caspase-3 activity in apoptotic cells in this project; cell morphology and caspase-3 sub-localization were determined by confocal microscopy. Our data showed that MOLT-4 cells presented typical morphological changes in apoptosis, such as membrane reversion, DNA fragmentation, and formation of apoptotic cell bodies following 10 Gray (Gy) of X-ray irradiation. Caspase-3 was activated 2 h after X-ray irradiation, and its activity increased markedly after 4-6-h exposure. Membrane reversion in MOLT-4 leukemia cells was detected by Annexin V assay at 4 h following X-ray irradiation, 2 h after the elevated caspase-3 activity was measured. Cytologically, activation of caspase-3 was first observed close to the inside surface of the cellular membrane, then transferred to the cytoplasm, and finally translocated to the nuclear region. We conclude that caspase-3 is activated in MOLT-4 cells following exposure to X-rays, and that the enhanced caspase-3 activity and its sub-localization shifting is correlated to changes in apoptotic morphology. The spatial shift of activated caspase-3 in X-ray-induced apoptotic MOLT-4 leukemia cells is a process of crucial importance for apoptosis.
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