Caspase-3 activation during the process of apoptosis induced by a vacuolar type H(+)-ATPase inhibitor.

Concanamycin A, a specific inhibitor of vacuolar type H(+)-ATPases, induced DNA fragmentation in B cell hybridoma HS-72 cells. Immunoblot analysis revealed that the exposure of concanamycin A to HS-72 cells induced the cleavage of retinoblastoma protein (Rb) and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). The cytosol from concanamycin A-treated HS-72 cells induced DNA fragmentation in nuclei from untreated cells in a cell-free system. This fragmentation was suppressed by a specific inhibitor of caspase-3. The cytosol induced Rb proteolysis in vitro, which was inhibited by a caspase-3 inhibitor. These findings indicate that caspase-3 induces DNA fragmentation and cleavage of Rb and PARP during the process of apoptosis induced by concanamycin A.