Decrease in intracellular superoxide sensitizes Bcl-2-overexpressing tumor cells to receptor and drug-induced apoptosis independent of the mitochondria

At least two mechanisms of early cytosolic acidification during apoptotic signaling have been described, one that involves caspase 8 activation downstream of receptor ligation and another dependent on mitochondria-derived hydrogen peroxide during merocil-induced apoptosis. Here, we show that Bcl-2 inhibits both mechanisms of acidification. Moreover, Bcl-2 overexpression resulted in a slightly elevated constitutive level of superoxide anion and pH in CEM leukemia cells. Interestingly, decreasing intracellular superoxide concentration with an inhibitor of the beta-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase or by transient transfection with a dominant-negative form of the guanosine triphosphate-binding protein Rac1 resulted in a significant increase in the sensitivity of CEM/Bcl-2 cells to CD95- or merocil-induced apoptosis. This increase in sensitivity was a direct result of a significant increase in caspase 8 activation and caspase 8-dependent acidification in the absence of caspase 9 activity or cytochrome c release. These findings suggest a mechanism of switching from mitochondria-dependent to mitochondria-independent death signaling in the same cell, provided the intracellular milieu is permissive for upstream caspase 8 activation, and could have implications for favorably tailoring tumor cells for drug treatment even when the mitochondrial pathway is compromised by Bcl-2.