Cyclopentenone prostaglandin derivatives of arachidonic acid are potent inducers of apoptosis in a variety of cancer cell types. Several investigators have shown that the terminal derivative of prostaglandin J 2 (PGJ 2 ) metabolism, 15-deoxy-⌬ 12,14 -PGJ 2 (15dPGJ 2 ), induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells and is a potent activator of the nuclear hormone receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ␥ (PPAR␥), but 15dPGJ 2 effects can be mediated by PPAR␥-dependent and PPAR␥-independent mechanisms. Here we report that 15dPGJ 2 regulates early gene expression critical to apoptosis. Specifically, 15dPGJ 2 induces potent and irreversible S phase arrest that is correlated with expression of genes critical to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, including the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21Waf1/Cip1 (p21). Inhibition of RNA or protein synthesis abrogates apoptosis induced by 15dPGJ 2 in breast cancer cells but potentiates apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor-␣ or CD95/Fas ligand. Additionally, 15dPGJ 2 induces caspase activation that is blocked by peptide caspase inhibitors. These data show that de novo gene transcription is necessary for 15dPGJ 2 -induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells. Critical candidate genes are likely to be revealed through analysis of differential cDNA array expression.Cyclopentenone prostaglandins potently induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in a number of cancer cell types (1-13). The terminal derivative of prostaglandin J 2 (PGJ 2 ) 1 metabolism, 15-deoxy-⌬ 12,14 -PGJ 2 (15dPGJ 2 ), is a potent agonist for the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ␥ (PPAR␥) (14, 15) and inhibits NFB, AP-1, nuclear factor of activated T-cells, and signal transducers and activators of transcription (16 -20), perhaps via direct physical interaction between these transcription factors (21) or competition for limited transcriptional co-activators (22). Activation of PPAR␥ or inhibition of NFB blocks angiogenesis of endothelial cells and suppresses transcriptional activation of COX-2 (23, 24). Together these observations suggest a variety of cellular pathways through which cyclopentenone prostaglandins may exert potent anti-inflammatory and antineoplastic properties in diverse cell types. Moreover, it was recently shown that cyclopentenone compounds are produced in vivo (25-28). Thus, it is critical to determine which mechanism(s) predominate to further develop these compounds as anticancer agents.These studies demonstrate that 15dPGJ 2 -induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells requires expression of specific gene products. Blocking de novo mRNA and protein expression inhibited 15dPGJ 2 -induced apoptosis. Among the genes up-regulated by 15dPGJ 2 , which may account, at least in part, for cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, are the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21Waf1/Cip1 (p21) and p27 Kip1 (p27).
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURESReagents and Cell Culture-15dPGJ 2 was purchased from Cayman Chemical (Ann Arbor, MI). 15dPGJ 2 is rapidly interconverted to a mixture of at least five active isomers...