NF-κB Inducers Upregulate cFLIP, a Cycloheximide-Sensitive Inhibitor of Death Receptor Signaling

The caspase 8 homologue FLICE-inhibitory protein (cFLIP) is a potent negative regulator of death receptor-induced apoptosis. We found that cFLIP can be upregulated in some cell lines under critical involvement of the NF-κB pathway, but NF-κB activation was clearly not sufficient for cFLIP induction in all cell lines. Treatment of SV80 cells with the proteasome inhibitor N-benzoyloxycarbonyl (Z)-Leu-Leu-leucinal (MG-132) or geldanamycin, a drug interfering with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced NF-κB activation, inhibited TNF-induced upregulation of cFLIP. Overexpression of a nondegradable IκBα mutant (IκBα-SR) or lack of IκB kinase γ expression completely prevented phorbol myristate acetate-induced upregulation of cFLIP mRNA in Jurkat cells. These data point to an important role for NF-κB in the regulation of the cFLIP gene. SV80 cells normally show resistance to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and TNF, as apoptosis can be induced only in the presence of low concentrations of cycloheximide (CHX). However, overexpression of IκBα-SR rendered SV80 cells sensitive to TRAIL-induced apoptosis in the absence of CHX, and cFLIP expression was able to reverse the proapoptotic effect of NF-κB inhibition. Western blot analysis further revealed that cFLIP, but not TRAF1, A20, and cIAP2, expression levels rapidly decrease upon CHX treatment. In conclusion, these data suggest a key role for cFLIP in the antiapoptotic response of NF-κB activation