Transforming Growth Factor-β Directly Induces p53-up-regulated Modulator of Apoptosis (PUMA) during the Rapid Induction of Apoptosis in Myc-driven B-cell Lymphomas

c-Myc transformed human Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cells are highly sensitive to TGF-β-induced apoptosis. Previously we demonstrated that TGF-β-mediated cell death in BL cells is regulated via the mitochondrial intrinsic apoptosis pathway, which is dependent on the activation of BAX and/or BAK. TGF-β directly induces transcription of the BH3-only protein BIK and represses expression of the pro-survival factor BCL-X L but has no effect on the direct BAX/BAK "activators" BIM or BID (tBID). Here we show that TGF-β induces the BH3-only activator PUMA to aid induction of the intrinsic cell death pathway. TGF-β also induced PUMA in normal germinal center CD77-positive centroblasts isolated from human tonsil tissue. PUMA was a direct TGF-β target gene in B-cells, and we identify a putative Smad-binding region within the human PUMA promoter that recruits Smad3 and Smad4 in cells in response to TGF-β signaling. Constitutive activity of the isolated Smad-binding region in luciferase reporter assays was dependent on Smad consensus sequences and was partially dependent on endogenous TGF-β signaling and Smad4. Knockdown of PUMA in BL cells using lentiviral shRNA resulted in slower kinetics of the TGF-β-mediated apoptotic response. Analysis of Eμ- Myc cell lines demonstrated that c- myc -driven murine lymphomas are also sensitive to TGF-β-mediated apoptosis. Moreover, Puma −/− Eμ- Myc lines demonstrated significantly delayed kinetics of the apoptotic response when compared with wild type lymphomas. TGF-β therefore induces a polygenic response in Myc-driven lymphomas involving transcription of PUMA, which is necessary for the rapid induction of cell death. Background: TGF-β induces apoptosis in Burkitt's lymphoma cells. Results: PUMA is a direct target gene of TGF-β signaling and is required for rapid apoptosis. Conclusion: TGF-β-mediated direct induction of PUMA contributes to apoptosis in human and murine c-Myc-driven lymphomas. Significance: These studies link TGF-β signaling and transcriptional activation of PUMA , two factors with critical roles in regulating B-cell survival.