Oxidative processing of latent Fas in the endoplasmic reticulum controls the strength of apoptosis

V Anathy, E Roberson, B Cunniff, JD Nolin… - … and cellular biology, 2012 - Taylor & Francis
V Anathy, E Roberson, B Cunniff, JD Nolin, S Hoffman, P Spiess, AS Guala, KG Lahue…
Molecular and cellular biology, 2012Taylor & Francis
We recently demonstrated that S-glutathionylation of the death receptor Fas (Fas-SSG)
amplifies apoptosis (V. Anathy et al., J. Cell Biol. 184: 241–252, 2009). In the present study,
we demonstrate that distinct pools of Fas exist in cells. Upon ligation of surface Fas, a
separate pool of latent Fas in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) underwent rapid oxidative
processing characterized by the loss of free sulfhydryl content (Fas-SH) and resultant
increases in S-glutathionylation of Cys294, leading to increases of surface Fas. Stimulation …
We recently demonstrated that S-glutathionylation of the death receptor Fas (Fas-SSG) amplifies apoptosis (V. Anathy et al., J. Cell Biol. 184:241–252, 2009). In the present study, we demonstrate that distinct pools of Fas exist in cells. Upon ligation of surface Fas, a separate pool of latent Fas in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) underwent rapid oxidative processing characterized by the loss of free sulfhydryl content (Fas-SH) and resultant increases in S-glutathionylation of Cys294, leading to increases of surface Fas. Stimulation with FasL rapidly induced associations of Fas with ERp57 and glutathione S-transferase π (GSTP), a protein disulfide isomerase and catalyst of S-glutathionylation, respectively, in the ER. Knockdown or inhibition of ERp57 and GSTP1 substantially decreased FasL-induced oxidative processing and S-glutathionylation of Fas, resulting in decreased death-inducing signaling complex formation and caspase activity and enhanced survival. Bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis was accompanied by increased interactions between Fas-ERp57-GSTP1 and S-glutathionylation of Fas. Importantly, fibrosis was largely prevented following short interfering RNA-mediated ablation of ERp57 and GSTP. Collectively, these findings illuminate a regulatory switch, a ligand-initiated oxidative processing of latent Fas, that controls the strength of apoptosis.
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