Successful viral replication requires not only the efficient production and spread of progeny, but also evasion of host defense mechanisms that limit replication by killing infected cells. In addition to inducing immune and inflammatory responses, infection by most viruses triggers apoptosis or programmed cell death of the infected cell. This cell response often results as a compulsory or unavoidable by-product of the action of critical viral replicative functions. In addition, some viruses seem to use apoptosis as a mechanism of cell killing and virus spread. In both cases, successful replication relies on the ability of certain viral products to block or delay apoptosis until sufficient progeny have been produced. Such proteins target a variety of strategic points in the apoptotic pathway. In this review we summarize the great amount of recent information on viruses and apoptosis and offer insights into how this knowledge may be used for future research and novel therapies.
Stimulation of cell surface death receptors activates caspase-8, which targets a limited number of substrates including BAP31, an integral membrane protein of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Recently, we reported that a caspase-resistant BAP31 mutant inhibited several features of Fas-induced apoptosis, including the release of cytochrome c (cyt.c) from mitochondria (Nguyen, M., D.G. Breckenridge, A. Ducret, and G.C. Shore. 2000. Mol. Cell. Biol. 20:6731–6740), implicating ER-mitochondria crosstalk in this pathway. Here, we report that the p20 caspase cleavage fragment of BAP31 can direct pro-apoptotic signals between the ER and mitochondria. Adenoviral expression of p20 caused an early release of Ca2+ from the ER, concomitant uptake of Ca2+ into mitochondria, and mitochondrial recruitment of Drp1, a dynamin-related protein that mediates scission of the outer mitochondrial membrane, resulting in dramatic fragmentation and fission of the mitochondrial network. Inhibition of Drp1 or ER-mitochondrial Ca2+ signaling prevented p20-induced fission of mitochondria. p20 strongly sensitized mitochondria to caspase-8–induced cyt.c release, whereas prolonged expression of p20 on its own ultimately induced caspase activation and apoptosis through the mitochondrial apoptosome stress pathway. Therefore, caspase-8 cleavage of BAP31 at the ER stimulates Ca2+-dependent mitochondrial fission, enhancing the release of cyt.c in response to this initiator caspase.
Selective inhibition of protein methyltransferases is a promising new approach to drug discovery. An attractive strategy towards this goal is the development of compounds that selectively inhibit binding of the cofactor, S-adenosylmethionine, within specific protein methyltransferases. Here we report the three-dimensional structure of the protein methyltransferase DOT1L bound to EPZ004777, the first S-adenosylmethionine-competitive inhibitor of a protein methyltransferase with in vivo efficacy. This structure and those of four new analogues reveal remodelling of the catalytic site. EPZ004777 and a brominated analogue, SGC0946, inhibit DOT1L in vitro and selectively kill mixed lineage leukaemia cells, in which DOT1L is aberrantly localized via interaction with an oncogenic MLL fusion protein. These data provide important new insight into mechanisms of cell-active S-adenosylmethioninecompetitive protein methyltransferase inhibitors, and establish a foundation for the further development of drug-like inhibitors of DOT1L for cancer therapy.
The CEBPA gene is mutated in 9% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Selective expression of a short 30 kDa C/EBPα translational isoform, termed p30, represents the most common type of CEBPA mutations in AML. The molecular mechanisms underlying p30-mediated transformation remain incompletely understood. We show that C/EBPα p30, but not the normal p42 isoform, preferentially interacts with Wdr5, a key component of SET/MLL histone-methyltransferase complexes. Accordingly, p30-bound genomic regions were enriched for MLL-dependent H3K4me3 marks. The p30-dependent increase in self-renewal and inhibition of myeloid differentiation required Wdr5, as its down-regulation inhibited proliferation and restored differentiation in p30-dependent AML models. OICR-9429 is a novel small-molecule antagonist of the Wdr5-MLL interaction. This compound selectively inhibited proliferation and induced differentiation in p30-expressing human AML cells. Our data reveal the mechanism of p30-dependent transformation and establish the essential p30-cofactor Wdr5 as a therapeutic target in CEBPA-mutant AML.
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