Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2113530 | Cancer Letters | 2012 | 10 Pages |
Vorinostat is a histone deacetylase inhibitor that effectively suppresses cancer-cell proliferation by inducing cell-cycle arrest and/or apoptosis. We now show the involvement of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in the regulation of vorinostat-induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. Vorinostat induced the hyperacetylation of histone H3, which correlated to apoptosis induction. Vorinostat-induced apoptosis occurred in parallel with the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and the dephosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2). Knockdown of p38 MAPK prominently abrogated apoptosis induction and was accompanied by decreased caspase-3 cleavage. These findings support the notion that the activation of the p38 MAPK pathway followed by caspase-3 cleavage is responsible for vorinostat-induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells.
► Vorinostat-induced apoptosis correlates to hyperacetylation of histone H3 in MDA-MB-231 cells. ► Vorinostat activates the intrinsic apoptotic pathway and caspase-3 cleavage. ► Vorinostat modulates MAPK signaling during apoptosis induction. ► p38 MAPK is essential for the induction of vorinostat-induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells.