Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A induces apoptosis in colon cancer cells and associates with the nucleus in response to tumour necrosis factor α signalling

• Published in: Experimental cell research Vol. 313; no. 3; pp. 437 - 449
• Main Authors: Taylor, Catherine A., Sun, Zhong, Cliche, Dominic O., Ming, Hong, Eshaque, Bithi, Jin, Songmu, Hopkins, Marianne T., Thai, Boun, Thompson, John E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-02-2007
• Subjects: Actinomycin D; Apoptosis; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Nucleus - metabolism; Cell Proliferation; Colonic Neoplasms - metabolism; Colonic Neoplasms - pathology; Dactinomycin - pharmacology; Deoxyhypusine synthase; eIF5A; Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 5A; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Nitroprusside - pharmacology; Peptide Initiation Factors - genetics; Peptide Initiation Factors - metabolism; Peptide Initiation Factors - physiology; RNA, Small Interfering - pharmacology; RNA-Binding Proteins - genetics; RNA-Binding Proteins - metabolism; RNA-Binding Proteins - physiology; Signal Transduction; siRNA; Transfection; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - pharmacology; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - metabolism; Tumour necrosis factor α; Actinomycin D; DHH; siRNA; DFO; CMV; DHS; Tumour necrosis factor α; IFN-γ; TUNEL; TNF-α; Deoxyhypusine synthase; HA; GC7; eIF5A; Apoptosis
• ISSN: 0014-4827; 1090-2422
• DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2006.09.030

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is thought to function as a nucleocytoplasmic shuttle protein. There are reports of its involvement in cell proliferation, and more recently it has also been implicated in the regulation of apoptosis. In the present study, we examined the effects of eIF5A over-expression on apoptosis and of siRNA-mediated suppression of eIF5A on expression of the tumour suppressor protein, p53. Over-expression of either eIF5A or a mutant of eIF5A incapable of being hypusinated was found to induce apoptosis in colon carcinoma cells. Our results also indicate that eIF5A is required for expression of p53 following the induction of apoptosis by treatment with Actinomycin D. Depiction of eIF5A localization by indirect immunofluorescence has indicated, for the first time, that the protein is rapidly translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus by death receptor activation or following treatment with Actinomycin D. These findings collectively indicate that unhypusinated eIF5A may have pro-apoptotic functions and that eIF5A is rapidly translocated to the nucleus following the induction of apoptotic cell death.