Energy metabolism during apoptosis. Bcl-2 promotes survival in hematopoietic cells induced to apoptose by growth factor withdrawal by stabilizing a form of metabolic arrest.

We have investigated cell metabolism during apoptosis in the murine interleukin-3 (IL-3)-dependent cell line Bo and two derivative clones (B14 and B15) overexpressing human bcl-2a. On removal of IL-3, Bo cells underwent apoptosis within 8 h, whereas B14 and B15 cells were resistant for at least 24 h. Metabolically, Bo, B14, and B15 cells were indistinguishable from each other. All were insensitive to mitochondrial poisons, derived ATP entirely by glycolysis, and maintained similar mitochondrial membrane potentials measured by rhodamine-123 fluorescence with or without IL-3. All virtually ceased glycolysis and production of lactic acid on IL-3 withdrawal but maintained intracellular [ATP] until in Bo cultures the cells began to apoptose. B14 and B15 cells became glycolytically arrested but maintained stable ATP levels during protection from apoptosis. Depletion of intracellular ATP by uncoupling the mitochondrial ATPase with 2,4-dinitrophenol or carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone induced apoptosis in Bo cells with or without IL-3, but not in B14 or B15 cells. bcl-2-overexpressing cells were recoverable with high plating efficiency even after prolonged exposure to 2,4-dinitrophenol. We conclude that IL-3 withdrawal leads to arrest of energy metabolism in which ATP levels are maintained. In Bo cells this is followed by apoptosis, whereas in bcl-2-overexpressing cells this state is stably prolonged. ATP depletion is a strong apoptotic signal which overrides IL-3 signaling in normal cells but is ineffective in bcl-2-overexpressing cells. Prolonged metabolic arrest and resistance to ATP depletion facilitated by bcl-2 are both reversible. Persistent reversible metabolic dormancy would provide cells with a survival advantage in nonsustainable environments (e.g. hypoxia or substrate lack) and suggests a mechanism for the survival advantage displayed by cells overexpressing bcl-2.