Caspase-2 deficiency promotes aberrant DNA-damage response and genetic instability

Cell Death Differ. 2012 Aug;19(8):1288-98. doi: 10.1038/cdd.2012.36. Epub 2012 Apr 13.

Abstract

Caspase-2 is an initiator caspase, which has been implicated to function in apoptotic and non-apoptotic signalling pathways, including cell-cycle regulation, DNA-damage signalling and tumour suppression. We previously demonstrated that caspase-2 deficiency enhances E1A/Ras oncogene-induced cell transformation and augments lymphomagenesis in the EμMyc mouse model. Caspase-2(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (casp2(-/-) MEFs) show aberrant cell-cycle checkpoint regulation and a defective apoptotic response following DNA damage. Disruption of cell-cycle checkpoints often leads to genomic instability (GIN), which is a common phenotype of cancer cells and can contribute to cellular transformation. Here we show that caspase-2 deficiency results in increased DNA damage and GIN in proliferating cells. Casp2(-/-) MEFs readily escape senescence in culture and exhibit increased micronuclei formation and sustained DNA damage during cell culture and following γ-irradiation. Metaphase analyses demonstrated that a lack of caspase-2 is associated with increased aneuploidy in both MEFs and in EμMyc lymphoma cells. In addition, casp2(-/-) MEFs and lymphoma cells exhibit significantly decreased telomere length. We also noted that loss of caspase-2 leads to defective p53-mediated signalling and decreased trans-activation of p53 target genes upon DNA damage. Our findings suggest that loss of caspase-2 serves as a key function in maintaining genomic integrity, during cell proliferation and following DNA damage.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aneuploidy
  • Animals
  • Caspase 2 / deficiency*
  • Caspase 2 / genetics
  • Caspase 2 / metabolism
  • Cell Growth Processes / genetics
  • Cells, Cultured
  • DNA Damage*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Embryo, Mammalian / cytology
  • Fibroblasts / cytology
  • Fibroblasts / physiology
  • Genomic Instability*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Signal Transduction
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Caspase 2