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  • Original Paper
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Zerumbone abolishes NF-κB and IκBα kinase activation leading to suppression of antiapoptotic and metastatic gene expression, upregulation of apoptosis, and downregulation of invasion

Abstract

Zerumbone found in subtropical ginger Zingiber zerumbet Smith exhibits antiproliferative and antiinflammatory activities but underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. As several genes that regulate proliferation and apoptosis are regulated by nuclear factor (NF)-κB, we hypothesized that zerumbone mediates its activity through the modulation of NF-κB activation. We found that zerumbone suppressed NF-κB activation induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF), okadaic acid, cigarette smoke condensate, phorbol myristate acetate, and H2O2 and that the suppression was not cell type specific. Interestingly, α-humulene, a structural analogue of zerumbone lacking the carbonyl group, was completely inactive. Besides being inducible, constitutively active NF-κB was also inhibited. NF-κB inhibition by zerumbone correlated with sequential suppression of the IκBα kinase activity, IκBα phosphorylation, IκBα degradation, p65 phosphorylation, p65 nuclear translocation, and p65 acylation. Zerumbone also inhibited the NF-κB-dependent reporter gene expression activated by TNF, TNFR1, TRADD, TRAF2, NIK, and IKK but not that activated by the p65 subunit of NF-κB. NF-κB-regulated gene products, such as cyclin D1, COX-2, MMP-9, ICAM-1, c-Myc, survivin, IAP1, IAP2, XIAP, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bfl-1/A1, TRAF1 and FLIP, were all downregulated by zerumbone. This downregulation led to the potentiation of apoptosis induced by cytokines and chemotherapeutic agents. Zerumbone's inhibition of expression of these NF-κB-regulated genes also correlated with the suppression of TNF-induced invasion activity. Overall, our results indicated that zerumbone inhibits the activation of NF-κB and NF-κB-regulated gene expression induced by carcinogens and that this inhibition may provide a molecular basis for the prevention and treatment of cancer by zerumbone.

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Abbreviations

NF-κB:

nuclear factor-κB

IκB:

inhibitory subunit of NF-κB

IKK:

IκBα kinase

NIK:

NF-κB-inducing kinase

TNF:

tumor necrosis factor

SEAP:

secretory alkaline phosphatase

PMA:

phorbol myristate acetate

TUNEL:

terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling

IL:

interleukin

FADD:

Fas-associated death domain protein

FLICE:

FADD-like interleukin-1β-converting enzyme

FLIP:

FLICE-inhibitory protein

COX:

cyclooxygenase

MMP:

matrix metalloproteinase

TRAF:

TNF receptor-associated factor

PBS:

phosphate-buffered saline

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Gayle Nesom for carefully editing this manuscript. Dr Takada is an Odyssey Program Special Fellow. Dr Aggarwal is a Ransom Horne, Jr Professor of Cancer Research. This work was supported by the Theodore N Law Award Scientific Achievement Fund from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (to YT), the Clayton Foundation for Research (to BBA), Department of Defense US Army Breast Cancer Research Program Grant (BC010610, to BBA), a PO1 Grant (CA91844) from the National Institutes of Health on lung chemoprevention (to BBA), and a P50 Head and Neck SPORE grant from the National Institutes of Health (p50CA97007, to BBA).

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Correspondence to Bharat B Aggarwal.

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Takada, Y., Murakami, A. & Aggarwal, B. Zerumbone abolishes NF-κB and IκBα kinase activation leading to suppression of antiapoptotic and metastatic gene expression, upregulation of apoptosis, and downregulation of invasion. Oncogene 24, 6957–6969 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1208845

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