Direct Activation of ATM by Resveratrol under Oxidizing Conditions

Resveratrol has been widely reported to reduce cancer progression in model systems and to selectively induce cell death in transformed cell lines. Many enzymes have been reported to respond to resveratrol in mammalian cells, including the Ataxia-Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) protein kinase that acts in DNA damage recognition, signaling, and repair. Here we investigate the responses of ATM to resveratrol exposure in normal and transformed human cell lines and find that ATM autophosphorylation and substrate phosphorylation is stimulated by resveratrol in a manner that is promoted by reactive oxygen species (ROS). We observe direct stimulatory effects of resveratrol on purified ATM in vitro and find that the catalytic efficiency of the kinase on a model substrate is increased by resveratrol. In the purified system we also observe a requirement for oxidation, as the effect of resveratrol on ATM signaling is substantially reduced by agents that prevent disulfide bond formation in ATM. These results demonstrate that resveratrol effects on ATM are direct, and suggest a mechanism by which the oxidizing environment of transformed cells promotes ATM activity and blocks cell proliferation.