Participation of Intracellular Ca~(2+) /Calmodulin and Protein Kinase (s) in the Pathway of Apoptosis Induced by a Drosophila Cell Death Gene, reaper

摘要

To elucidate the apoptotic signaling pathway, we have generated a cell culture model:S2 cells stably transfected with a Drosophila cell death gene, reaper(rpr).Following rpr overexpression, caspase activation-mediated apoptotic cell death was induced in the cells. Apoptosis triggered by rpr required intracellular Ca~(2+) ions and calmodulin .Furthermore, protein kinase inhibitors H-7(a PKC PKA, PKG, MLCK, and CKI inhibitor), calphostin C(a PKC inhibitor) , or H-89(a PKA and PKG inhibitor ) completely blocked apoptosis induced by rpr, suggesting that some kind of serine/threonine protein kinase(s) act upstream of caspase in apoptotic pathway induced by rpr in S2 cells