Mcl-1 expression and JNK activation induces a threshold for apoptosis in Bcl-xL-overexpressing hematopoietic cells

The regulation of Mcl-1 expression is necessary for the induction of cancer cell apoptosis by ABTs such as ABT-737, ABT-263 and ABT-199. However, the reduction in Mcl-1 expression is not sufficient for initiating cell death in hematopoietic cancer cells with high Bcl-xL expression. Here, we demonstrate that 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) enhanced the effect of ABT-199 to induce cell apoptosis in hematologic malignancies with up-regulated Bcl-xL expression. Our study revealed that 2-DG could decrease glucose-dependent and Akt-independent Mcl-1 expression, which is mediated by the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway. Moreover, the combination of 2-DG and ABT-199 triggered c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation and subsequent Bcl-xL degradation, whereas 2-DG and ABT-199 alone had little effect on JNK activation. Therefore, the combination of 2-DG and ABT-199 initiated cell death through the reduction of Mcl-1 expression and JNK activation. Our study could provide a clinical theoretical basis for the use of ABT-199 in hematologic malignancies with excessive Bcl-xL expression.