Cleavage of the death domain kinase RIP by caspase-8 prompts TNF-induced apoptosis

• Published in: Genes & development Vol. 13; no. 19; pp. 2514 - 2526
• Main Authors: Lin, Y, Devin, A, Rodriguez, Y, Liu, Z G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 01.10.1999
• Subjects: Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; Apoptosis - drug effects; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; Aspartic Acid; Binding Sites; Carrier Proteins - metabolism; Caspase 8; Caspase 9; Caspases - metabolism; Cell Line, Transformed; Fas-Associated Death Domain Protein; HeLa Cells; Humans; Membrane Glycoproteins - metabolism; NF-kappa B - metabolism; Protein Kinases - metabolism; Proteins - metabolism; Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor - metabolism; Research Paper; TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 1; TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; Tumor Cells, Cultured; tumor necrosis factor; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0890-9369; 1549-5477
• DOI: 10.1101/gad.13.19.2514

Although the molecular mechanisms of TNF signaling have been largely elucidated, the principle that regulates the balance of life and death is still unknown. We report here that the death domain kinase RIP, a key component of the TNF signaling complex, was cleaved by Caspase-8 in TNF-induced apoptosis. The cleavage site was mapped to the aspartic acid at position 324 of RIP. We demonstrated that the cleavage of RIP resulted in the blockage of TNF-induced NF-kappaB activation. RIPc, one of the cleavage products, enhanced interaction between TRADD and FADD/MORT1 and increased cells' sensitivity to TNF. Most importantly, the Caspase-8 resistant RIP mutants protected cells against TNF-induced apopotosis. These results suggest that cleavage of RIP is an important process in TNF-induced apoptosis. Further more, RIP cleavage was also detected in other death receptor-mediated apoptosis. Therefore, our study provides a potential mechanism to convert cells from life to death in death receptor-mediated apoptosis.