Cleavage and relocation of the tyrosine kinase P59FYN during Fas-mediated apoptosis in T lymphocytes

Ligation of Fas with its natural ligand or with anti-Fas antibodies induces an apoptotic program in Fas sensitive cells. We report here the identification of the tyrosine kinase p59Fyn as a substrate for CPP32-like proteinases and more particularly caspase 3 during Fas-mediated apoptosis in Jurkat T cells. Inhibition of CPP32-like proteinases by Ac-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-aldehyde but not by Ac-Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp-aldehyde prevents CPP32, PARP and p59Fyn cleavage indicating that CPP32 or CPP32-like proteinases are responsible for the cleavage of p59Fyn. Cleavage occurs in the N-terminal domain of p59Fyn between Asp19 and Gly20 and is accompanied by relocation of an active p57Fyn kinase to cytoplasm of Fas-stimulated Jurkat cells as judged by both biochemical and confocal microscopy experiments. Thus, p59Fyn relocation and activity may play an important role during Fas-mediated cell death in human T lymphocytes.