Resistance against ricin-induced apoptosis in a brefeldin A-resistant mutant cell line (BER-40) of Vero cells.

We have found that a brefeldin A (BFA)-resistant mutant cell line derived from Vero cells (BER-40) is highly resistant to ricin-induced apoptosis as compared with parental Vero cells. In BER-40 cells, all apoptotic events caused by ricin including cytolysis, nuclear morphological changes, and DNA fragmentation occur to a lesser extent than in Vero cells, even though both cell lines show similar sensitivities to ricin-mediated inhibition of protein synthesis. Furthermore, no significant apoptotic signaling events, such as increases in caspase-3 and -9-like activities, release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, or the cleavage of PARP, were observed in BER-40 cells under the conditions at which these changes were evident in Vero cells. Intracellular biochemical changes associated with ricin-induced apoptosis, such as the depletion of glutathione and an increase in free Zn2+, were also less apparent in BER-40 cells than in Vero cells. BER-40 cells were also found to be highly resistant to apoptosis induced by other toxins with different intoxication mechanisms such as diphtheria toxin, modeccin, and anisomycin. These results suggest that the entire apoptotic signal transduction mechanism in BER-40 cells, which may be triggered after the inhibition of protein synthesis by toxins, becomes resistant. Since MDCK cells, a naturally BFA resistant cell line, are highly sensitive to ricin-induced apoptosis, it seems likely that the BFA resistance phenotype may not necessarily lead to resistance to apoptotic cell death. Probably the underlaying BFA-resistance mechanism in BER-40 cells is distinct from that in MDCK cells, and the resistance to ricin-induced apoptosis of BER-40 cells may be a unique phenotype acquired concomitantly with BFA-resistance.