Involvement of Selective Reactive Oxygen Species Upstream of Proapoptotic Branches of Unfolded Protein Response

Cadmium triggers apoptosis of LLC-PK1 cells through induction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. We found that cadmium caused generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and that cadmium-induced ER stress was inhibited by antioxidants. In contrast, suppression of ER stress did not attenuate cadmium-triggered oxidative stress, suggesting that ER stress occurs downstream of oxidative stress. Exposure of the cells to either O2.¯, H2O2, or ONOO- caused apoptosis, whereas ER stress was induced only by O2.¯ or ONOO-. Transfection with manganese superoxide dismutase significantly attenuated cadmium-induced ER stress and apoptosis, whereas pharmacological inhibition of ONOO- was ineffective. Interestingly, transfection with catalase attenuated cadmium-induced apoptosis without affecting the level of ER stress. O2.¯ caused activation of the activating transcription factor 6-CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-homologous protein (CHOP) and the inositol-requiring ER-to-nucleus signal kinase 1-X-box-binding protein 1 (XBP1) proapoptotic cascades, and overexpression of manganese superoxide dismutase attenuated cadmium-triggered induction of both pathways. Furthermore, phosphorylation of proapoptotic c-Jun N-terminal kinase by O2.¯ or cadmium was suppressed by dominant-negative inhibition of XBP1. These data elucidated 1) cadmium caused ER stress via generation of ROS, 2) O2.¯ was selectively involved in cadmium-triggered, ER stress-mediated apoptosis through activation of the activating transcription factor 6-CHOP and inositol-requiring ER-to-nucleus signal kinase 1-XBP1 pathways, and 3) phosphorylation of JNK was caused by O2.¯-triggered activation of XBP1.