Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation is rapidly formed in cells following DNA damage and is regulated by poly(ADPribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1). PARP-1 is known to be involved in various cellular processes, such as DNA repair, genomic stability, transcription, and cell death. During apoptosis, PARP-1 is cleaved by caspases to generate 89-kDa and 24-kDa fragments, a hallmark of apoptosis. This cleavage is thought to be a regulatory event for cellular death. In order to understand the biological significance of PARP-1 cleavage, we generated a PARP-1 knockin (PARP-1 KI/KI ) mouse model, in which the caspase cleavage site of PARP-1, DEVD 214 , was mutated to render the protein resistant to caspases during apoptosis. While PARP-1 KI/KI mice developed normally, they were highly resistant to endotoxic shock and to intestinal and renal ischemia-reperfusions, which were associated with reduced inflammatory responses in the target tissues and cells due to the compromised production of specific inflammatory mediators. Despite normal binding of NF-κB to DNA, NF-κB-mediated transcription activity was impaired in the presence of caspase-resistant PARP-1. This study provides a novel insight into the function of PARP-1 in inflammation and ischemia-related pathophysiologies.
IntroductionUpon DNA damage, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1, EC 2.4.2.30) is activated and catalyzes the formation of poly(ADPribose) (PAR) chains by transferring (ADP-ribose) from β-NAD + onto itself and nuclear acceptor proteins (1). PARP-1 is known to be involved in various cellular processes including DNA repair, recombination, genomic stability, transcription regulation, and cell death (1-3). In addition, massive poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation induced by acute DNA damage results in rapid depletion of cellular NAD + and ATP pools, which, if not regulated, can lead to cellular dysfunction and cell death (4). Involvement of PARP-1 in cell death is also speculated based on the prominent phenomenon that during apoptosis, PARP-1 is cleaved by caspases at the conserved site DEVD 214 , generating 24-kDa and 89-kDa fragments, a hallmark of apoptosis.Mice lacking PARP-1 develop normally and PARP-1 -/-fibroblasts and lymphoid cells display a normal apoptotic response after treatment with various apoptotic inducers, such as anti-Fas antibody, TNF-α, γ-radiation, and dexamethasone, which demonstrates that PARP-1 per se is dispensable for apoptosis, at least in these cell types (5, 6). However, inactivation of PARP-1 by chemical inhibitors and genetic means protects mice from endotoxic shock and other disease models related to inflammation, such as diabetes, stroke, and myocardial reperfusion (7-12). In addition, PARP inhibitors protect rats from renal and intestinal ischemia-