Open AccessAutophagy is a regulator of TRAIL‐induced apoptosis in NSCLC A549 cells
Author(s) -
Chen Yuqing,
Zhou Xin,
Qiao Jianou,
Bao Aihua
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of cell communication and signaling
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1873-961X
pISSN - 1873-9601
DOI - 10.1007/s12079-016-0364-4
Subject(s) - autophagy , atg5 , gene silencing , microbiology and biotechnology , apoptosis , a549 cell , programmed cell death , crosstalk , chemistry , biology , cancer research , gene , biochemistry , physics , optics
Autophagy, a catabolic process by which cytoplasmic components are degraded in lysosomes, plays an important role in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Dysregulation of autophagy is associated with several diseases. However, few studies have addressed the role of autophagy in the lung, and its role in lung diseases remains unclear. In the present study, we examined the effect of tumor necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) on autophagy in A549 cells and explored the underlying mechanisms. We showed that TRAIL promoted autophagosome formation, as detected by the levels of LC3‐II, and its effect on promoting autophagy was dependent on the expression of the autophagy related genes (ATGs) Atg5, Atg7, and beclin‐1. TRAIL‐induced ATG expression was attenuated by JNK silencing or treatment with the JNK inhibitor SP600125, indicating the involvement of the JNK pathway. Crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis was demonstrated by silencing the autophagy related genes Atg5, Atg7, and beclin‐1, and the dependence of TRAIL‐induced apoptosis on autophagy‐related gene expression. Taken together, our results indicate that TRAIL promotes autophagy in A549 cells via a mechanism involving the modulation of ATG expression through the JNK pathway. Inhibition of autophagy enhanced TRAIL‐induced cell proliferative inhibition and apoptosis in A549 cells.