Submitted April 12, 2006
Accepted August 23, 2006
Edelfosine and perifosine induce selective apoptosis in multiple myeloma by recruitment of death receptors and downstream signaling molecules into lipid rafts
Consuelo Gajate and Faustino Mollinedo*
Universidad de Salamanca-CSIC, Salamanca, Spain
* Corresponding author; email: fmollin{at}usal.es.
Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable B-cell malignancy, requiring new therapeutic strategies. We have found that synthetic alkyl-lysophospholipids (ALPs) edelfosine and perifosine induced apoptosis in MM cell lines and patient MM cells, whereas normal B and T lymphocytes were spared. ALPs induced recruitment of Fas/CD95 death receptor, Fas-associated death domain-containing protein and procaspase-8 into lipid rafts, leading to the formation of the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) and apoptosis. TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptor-1/death receptor 4 (TRAIL-R1/DR4) and TRAIL-R2/DR5, as well as Bid were also recruited into lipid rafts, linking death receptor and mitochondrial signaling pathways. ALPs induced mitochondrial cytochrome c release. Bcl-XL overexpression prevented cytochrome c release and apoptosis. A Fas/CD95-deficient MM subline expressing DR4 and DR5 was resistant to edelfosine. Fas/CD95 retrovirus transduction bestowed edelfosine sensitivity in these cells. A Fas/CD95 mutant lacking part of the intracellular domain was ineffective. Lipid raft disruption prevented ALP-induced Fas/CD95 clustering, DISC formation and apoptosis. ALP-induced apoptosis was Fas/CD95 ligand (FasL/CD95L)-independent. ALP-induced recruitment of death receptors in lipid rafts potentiated MM cell killing by FasL/CD95L and TRAIL. These data uncover a novel lipid raft-mediated therapy in MM involving concentration of death receptors in membrane rafts, with Fas/CD95 playing a major role in ALP-mediated apoptosis.
