GEA 3162, a peroxynitrite donor, induces Bcl-2-sensitive, p53-independent apoptosis in murine bone marrow cells

Apoptosis may be regulated by oxidants such as peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)). The tumour suppressor, p53, has been reported to play a crucial role in apoptosis induced by oxidants, therefore we assessed the ability of a ONOO(-) donor, GEA 3162, to activate caspases and induce mitochondrial permeability in a p53-deficient murine bone marrow cell line, Jaws II. Furthermore, these cells were stably transfected with Bcl-2, in order to investigate the impact of this survival protein on ONOO(-)-induced apoptosis. GEA 3162 activated caspases and induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in Jaws II cells. In particular, caspases 3 and 2 were activated, alongside minor activation of caspases 8 and 9, and apoptosis was partially dependent upon p38 MAP kinase activation, with little or no role for JNK. Overexpression of Bcl-2 abolished activation of all caspases and reduced the change in mitochondrial membrane potential. Thus, we have demonstrated that the ONOO(-) donor, GEA 3162, induces apoptosis in Jaws II murine myeloid cells despite lacking functional p53, via a pathway that principally involves caspases 2 and 3 and mitochondrial changes. This is blocked by overexpression of Bcl-2 via a mechanism that does not appear to merely reflect stabilisation of the mitochondrial membrane.