Induction of multiple programmed cell death pathways by IFN-beta in human non-small-cell lung cancer cell lines

Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) and keratinocyte transglutaminase (kTG), as well as the cross-linked envelopes (CLE) that they form, have been associated with squamous differentiation and programmed cell death in epithelial cells. When interferon-beta (IFN-beta) was used to stimulate differentiation and programmed cell death in the human lung cancer cell lines NCI-H596 and NCI-H226, the cells underwent a decrease in cellular density. In NCI-H596 IFN-beta caused an increase in kTG activity and DNA fragmentation in the lower density cells, which were significantly slower growing than control cells. However, in the higher density cells, which were only slightly slower growing than control cells, IFN-beta caused an increase in tTG activity and CLE competence. Dual-parameter flow cytometry demonstrated that IFN-beta-induced squamous differentiation preceded programmed cell death. Treatment of NCI-H596 cells with monodansylcadaverine, a transglutaminase inhibitor, prevented the increase in CLE competence, but did not inhibit DNA fragmentation. These results suggest that IFN-beta can induce NCI-H596 cells to enter multiple cell death pathways and that these pathways are not only differentiation related, but may also be growth driven.