Elevated calcium in preneoplastic cells activates NF-kappa B and confers resistance to apoptosis

Early preneoplastic cells (sup+) exhibit increased susceptibility to apoptosis, which is lost in late stage preneoplastic cells (sup-). Sup+ cells, which undergo apoptosis when cultured in low serum, show little or no DNA binding activity to nuclear factor (NF)-kappa B either in 10% or 0.2% serum. In contrast sup- cells, which are resistant to apoptosis in low serum, show a sustained constitutive activation of NF-kappa B. The constitutive activation of NF-kappa B observed in sup- cells is not due to loss of I kappa B alpha. We considered that the activation of NF-kappa B in sup- cells might be secondary to an increase in cytosolic Ca(2+), since sup- cells have a cytosolic Ca(2+) level that is double that in sup+ cells. In support of a role for Ca(2+), lowering cytosolic Ca(2+) in sup- cells by addition of the cell-permeable Ca(2+) chelator 1,2 bis(O-aminophenoxy)ethane-N, N, N', N'-tetraacetic acid-acetoxymethyl ester (BAPTA-AM) reduced cytosolic Ca(2+) by approximately 31% relative to untreated sup- cells, concomitant with a 65% reduction in NF-kappa B DNA binding activity and a reduction in I kappa B kinase (IKK) activity. In sup- cells in low serum, addition of BAPTA-AM also resulted in a significant ( approximately 50%) increase in caspase-3 activity. Raising extracellular Ca(2+) in sup+ cells resulted in a slight activation of I kappa B kinase and in enhanced NF-kappa B DNA binding activity. Using proteasome and calpain inhibitors, we determined that the basal activity of NF-kappa B in sup- cells is largely proteasome-independent, but sensitive to calpain inhibitors. Taken together these data suggest that the elevated Ca(2+) in sup- cells causes a modest activation of IKK, which likely contributes to the enhanced basal activation of NF-kappa B in sup- cells; however, the predominant effect of Ca(2+) appears to be mediated by Ca(2+)-enhanced degradation by calpain.