In human colorectal cancer cells, the polyphenol resveratrol (RV) activated the caspase-dependent intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. This effect was not mediated via estrogen receptors. Pepstatin A, an inhibitor of lysosomal cathepsin D (CD), not (2S,3S)-trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylamido-3-methylbutane ethyl ester, an inhibitor of cathepsins B and L, prevented RV cytotoxicity. Similar protection was attained by small interference RNA-mediated knockdown of CD protein expression. RV promoted the accumulation of mature CD, induced lysosome leakage and increased cytosolic immunoreactivity of CD. Inhibition of CD or its post-transcriptional down-regulation precluded Bax oligomerization, permeabilization of mitochondrial membrane, cytosolic translocation of cytochrome c, caspase 3 activation and terminal deoxinucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling positivity occurring in RV-treated cells. The present study identifies the lysosome as a novel target of RV activity and demonstrates a hierarchy of the proteolytic pathways involved in its cytotoxic mechanism in which the lysosomal CD acts upstream of the cytosolic caspase activation. Our data indicate that metabolic, pharmacologic or genetic conditions affecting CD expression and/or activity could reflect on the sensitivity of cancer cells to RV.

Protein aggregation is a common biological phenomenon, observed in different physiological and pathological conditions. Decreased protein solubility and a tendency to aggregate is also observed during physiological aging but the causes are currently unknown. Herein we performed a biophysical separation of aging-related high molecular weight aggregates, isolated from the bone marrow and splenic cells of aging mice and followed by biochemical and mass spectrometric analysis. The analysis indicated that compared to younger mice an increase in protein post-translational carbonylation was observed. The causative role of these modifications in inducing protein misfolding and aggregation was determined by inducing carbonyl stress in young mice, which recapitulated the increased protein aggregation observed in old mice. Altogether our analysis indicates that oxidative stress-related post-translational modifications accumulate in the aging proteome and are responsible for increased protein aggregation and altered cell proteostasis.

In human colorectal DLD1 cancer cells, the dietary bioflavonoid resveratrol (RV) rapidly induced autophagy. This effect was reversible (on removal of the drug) and was associated with increased expression and cytosolic redistribution of the proteins Beclin1 and LC3 II. Supplementing the cells with asparagine (Asn) abrogated the Beclin-dependent autophagy. When applied acutely (2 h), RV was not toxic; however, reiterate chronic (48 h) exposure to RV eventually led to annexin V- and terminal deoxinucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling-positive cell death. This toxic effect was autophagy dependent, as it was prevented either by Asn, by expressing a dominant-negative lipid kinase-deficient class III phosphoinositide 3-phosphate kinase, or by RNA interference knockdown of Beclin1. Lamp2b silencing abolished the fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes and preserved cell viability despite the ongoing formation of autophagosomes in cells chronically exposed to RV. The pan-caspase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Val–Ala–Asp-fluoromethylketone inhibited RV-induced cell death, but not autophagy. These results uncover a novel pathway of RV cytotoxicity in which autophagy plays a dual role: (i) at first, it acts as a prosurvival stress response and (ii) at a later time, it switches to a caspase-dependent apoptosis pathway. The present data also indicate that genetic or epigenetic inactivation of autophagy proteins in cancer cells may confer resistance to RV-mediated killing.