Although in rat hepatocytes CD95 is predominantly located inside the cell with almost undetectable immunostaining at the plasma membrane, the addition of CD95-ligand (CD95L) induces hepatocyte apoptosis, which is preceded by a targeting and activation of intracellularly localized CD95 to the plasma membrane including formation of the death-inducing signaling complex. This process involves an NADPH oxidase-dependent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) through a ceramide-and protein kinase C-dependent pathway, which leads to an activating phosphorylation of p47 phox . The mechanisms underlying CD95L-induced ceramide formation were addressed in the present study. It was found that CD95L lowered within seconds the apparent vesicular pH from 6.0 to 5.7 in a fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran-accessible endosomal compartment, which was previously shown to contain acidic sphingomyelinase, and decreased N-(ethoxycarbonylmethyl)-6-methoxyquinolinium bromide fluorescence, suggestive for an increase of cytosolic [Cl ؊ ]. Bafilomycin or 4,4-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2-disulfonic acid disodium salt largely abolished the CD95L-induced endosomal acidification, ceramide formation, and downstream events, such as p47 phox phosphorylation, ROS formation, CD95 activation, and apoptosis. These responses were also abolished after knock-down of acidic sphingomyelinase in rat hepatocytes. Interestingly, caspase 8 inhibitors abolished these CD95L-induced signaling events, including the increase in cytosolic [Cl ؊ ], endosomal acidification, ceramide formation, and ROS generation as well as CD95 targeting to the plasma membrane and CD95 activation. The data suggest that CD95L initiates a rapid caspase 8-dependent endosomal acidification, which triggers ceramide-dependent ROS formation as an upstream event of trafficking of intracellularly stored CD95 to the plasma membrane. It is concluded that a rapid caspase 8 activation in response to CD95L signals to intracellularly stored CD95, which becomes activated and targeted to the plasma membrane. This autoamplification of CD95-activation is required for apoptosis induction.
CD952 (Apo-1/Fas) belongs to the death receptor family and plays an important role in apoptosis induction in many cell types. In hepatocytes, CD95 is mainly located within the cellular interior and can either be activated after ligation with its natural ligand (CD95L) or in a ligand-independent way by hydrophobic bile salts or hyperosmotic cell shrinkage (Refs. 1-4; for review, see Ref. 5). Ligand-dependent and -independent CD95 activation in hepatocytes is a complex process that finally results in CD95 trafficking from the cellular interior to the plasma membrane, subsequent formation of the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC), and eventually apoptosis (1-12).In hepatocytes, proapoptotic stimuli such as CD95 ligand (CD95L), hydrophobic bile salts, or hyperosmotic cell shrinkage induce a rapid oxidative stress (ROS) response (2, 4), which triggers a Yes-dependent but ligand-independent activation of the epiderm...