Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.1.3.16 (calcineurin)
17,112 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We previously reported that ammonia induced apoptosis in cultured rat hippocampal neurons with moderate increases in the intracellular calcium concentration and decreases in phospho-BAD levels. Since this suggested the involvement of calcineurin in the apoptosis, the effects of calcineurin inhibitors, 1 microM cyclosporin A and 1 microM FK506, on the ammonia-induced neuronal apoptosis were tested. Both of the inhibitors abolished the neuronal apoptosis assessed by double staining with Hoechst 33258 and anti-neurofilament antibody, and the ammonia-induced decrease in phospho-BAD Ser(155) level. Thus, calcineurin appeared to be involved in the dephosphorylation of BAD at the sites including Ser(155) in ammonia-induced apoptosis.
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PMID:Calcineurin-mediated BAD Ser155 dephosphorylation in ammonia-induced apoptosis of cultured rat hippocampal neurons. 1503 16

We studied the intracellular events associated with pancreatic beta cell apoptosis by IFN-gamma/TNF-alpha synergism. IFN-gamma/TNF-alpha treatment of MIN6N8 insulinoma cells increased the amplitude of high voltage-activated Ca(2+) currents, while treatment with IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha alone did not. Cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](c)) was also increased by IFN-gamma/TNF-alpha treatment. Blockade of L-type Ca(2+) channel by nifedipine abrogated death of insulinoma cells by IFN-gamma/TNF-alpha. Diazoxide that attenuates voltage-activated Ca(2+) currents inhibited MIN6N8 cell death by IFN-gamma/TNF-alpha, while glibenclamide that accentuates voltage-activated Ca(2+) currents augmented insulinoma cell death. A protein kinase C inhibitor attenuated MIN6N8 cell death and the increase in [Ca(2+)](c) by IFN-gamma/TNF-alpha. Following the increase in [Ca(2+)](c), calpain was activated, and calpain inhibitors decreased insulinoma cell death by IFN-gamma/TNF-alpha. As a downstream of calpain, calcineurin was activated and the inhibition of calcineurin activation by FK506 diminished insulinoma cell death by IFN-gamma/TNF-alpha. BAD phosphorylation was decreased by IFN-gamma/TNF-alpha because of the increased calcineurin activity, which was reversed by FK506. IFN-gamma/TNF-alpha induced cytochrome c translocation from mitochondria to cytoplasm and activation of caspase-9. Effector caspases such as caspase-3 or -7 were also activated by IFN-gamma/TNF-alpha treatment. These results indicate that IFN-gamma/TNF-alpha synergism induces pancreatic beta cell apoptosis by Ca(2+) channel activation followed by downstream intracellular events such as mitochondrial events and caspase activation and also suggest the therapeutic potential of Ca(2+) modulation in type 1 diabetes.
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PMID:Role of calcium in pancreatic islet cell death by IFN-gamma/TNF-alpha. 1515 22

Oxysterols, and particularly 7-ketocholesterol, appear to be strongly involved in the physiopathology of atherosclerosis. These molecules are suspected to be cytotoxic to the cells of the vascular wall and monocytes/macrophages, particularly by inducing apoptosis. Previous studies have demonstrated that 7-ketocholesterol-induced apoptosis is triggered by a sustained increase of cytosolic-free Ca2+, which elicits the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis by activation of the calcium-dependent phosphatase calcineurin, leading to dephosphorylation of the 'BH3 only' protein BAD. However, thorough study of the results suggests that other pathways are implicated in 7-ketocholesterol-induced cytotoxicity. In this study, we demonstrate the involvement of two other calcium-dependent pathways during 7-ketocholesterol-induced apoptosis. The activation of the MEK-->ERK pathway by the calcium-dependent tyrosine kinase PYK 2, a survival pathway which delays apoptosis as shown by the use of the MEK inhibitor U0126, and a pathway involving another pro-apoptotic BH3 only protein, Bim. Indeed, 7-ketocholesterol treatment of human monocytic THP-1 cells induces the release of Bim-LC8 from the microtubule-associated dynein motor complex, and its association with Bcl-2. Therefore, it appears that 7-ketocholesterol-induced apoptosis is a complex phenomenon resulting from calcium-dependent activation of several pro-apoptotic pathways and also one survival pathway.
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PMID:7-Ketocholesterol-induced apoptosis. Involvement of several pro-apoptotic but also anti-apoptotic calcium-dependent transduction pathways. 1595 68

Amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta) is widely held to be associated with Alzheimer's disease. It was previously demonstrated by our group that Abeta induces cell death by an apoptotic process. We report here that activation of the caspase-3 apoptotic cascade is regulated by calcineurin-mediated BAD dephosphorylation. Calcineurin inhibitors were also proven to be effective by preventing the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Delta Psim) induced by Abeta, not allowing cytochrome c release from mitochondria and subsequently caspase-3 activation. Considering the results presented, we argue that calcineurin activation and BAD dephosphorylation are upstream in premitochondrial signaling events leading to caspase-3 activation in Abeta-peptide-treated cells.
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PMID:The role of calcineurin in amyloid-beta-peptides-mediated cell death. 1597 61

A critical aspect of tumor progression is the generation of survival signals that overcome default apoptotic programs. Recent studies have revealed that elevated phospholipase D activity generates survival signals in breast and perhaps other human cancers. We report here that the elevated phospholipase D activity in the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 suppresses the activity of the putative tumor suppressor protein phosphatase 2A in a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-dependent manner. Increasing the phospholipase D activity in MCF7 cells also suppressed protein phosphatase 2A activity. Elevated phospholipase D activity suppressed association of protein phosphatase 2A with both ribosomal subunit S6-kinase and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1. Suppression of protein phosphatase 2A by SV40 small t-antigen has been reported to be critical for the transformation of human cells with SV40 early region genes. Consistent with a critical role for protein phosphatase 2A in phospholipase D survival signals, either SV40 small t-antigen or pharmacological suppression of protein phosphatase 2A restored survival signals lost by the suppression of either phospholipase D or mTOR. Blocking phospholipase D signals also led to reduced phosphorylation of the pro-apoptotic protein BAD at the protein phosphatase 2A dephosphorylation site at Ser-112. The ability of phospholipase D to suppress protein phosphatase 2A identifies a critical target of an emerging phospholipase D/mTOR survival pathway in the transformation of human cells.
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PMID:mTOR-dependent suppression of protein phosphatase 2A is critical for phospholipase D survival signals in human breast cancer cells. 1610 16

Glucocorticoid excess induces hyperglycemia, which may result in diabetes. The present experiments explored whether glucocorticoids trigger apoptosis in insulin-secreting cells. Treatment of mouse beta-cells or INS-1 cells with the glucocorticoid dexamethasone (0.1 micromol/l) over 4 days in cell culture increased the number of fractionated nuclei from 2 to 7 and 14%, respectively, an effect that was reversed by the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486 (1 micromol/l). In INS-1 cells, dexamethasone increased the number of transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-staining positive cells, caspase-3 activity, and poly-(ADP-) ribose polymerase protein cleavage; decreased Bcl-2 transcript and protein abundance; dephosphorylated the proapoptotic protein of the Bcl-2 family (BAD) at serine155; and depolarized mitochondria. Dexamethasone increased PP-2B (calcineurin) activity, an effect abrogated by FK506. FK506 (0.1 micromol/l) and another calcineurin inhibitor, deltamethrin (1 micromol/l), attenuated dexamethasone-induced cell death. The stable glucagon-like peptide 1 analog, exendin-4 (10 nmol/l), inhibited dexamethasone-induced apoptosis in mouse beta-cells and INS-1 cells. The protective effect of exendin-4 was mimicked by forskolin (10 micromol/l) but not mimicked by guanine nucleotide exchange factor with the specific agonist 8CPT-Me-cAMP (50 micromol/l). Exendin-4 did not protect against cell death in the presence of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) inhibition by H89 (10 micromol/l) or KT5720 (5 micromol/l). In conclusion, glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis in insulin-secreting cells is accompanied by a downregulation of Bcl-2, activation of calcineurin with subsequent dephosphorylation of BAD, and mitochondrial depolarization. Exendin-4 protects against glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis, an effect mimicked by forskolin and reversed by PKA inhibitors.
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PMID:Dexamethasone induces cell death in insulin-secreting cells, an effect reversed by exendin-4. 1664 95

Peptide aptamers are combinatorial recognition molecules that consist of a constant scaffold protein displaying a doubly constrained variable peptide loop. They bind specifically target proteins and interfere with their function. We have built a peptide aptamer library in a lentiviral expression system to isolate aptamers that inhibit cell proliferation in vitro. Using one of the isolated aptamers (R5G42) as a bait protein, we have performed yeast two-hybrid screening of cDNA libraries and identified calcineurin A as a target protein candidate. R5G42 bound calcineurin A in vitro and stimulated its phosphatase activity. When expressed transiently in human cells, R5G42 induced the dephosphorylation of BAD. We have identified an antiproliferative peptide aptamer that binds calcineurin and stimulates its activity. The use of this ligand may help elucidate the still elusive structural mechanisms of activation and inhibition of calcineurin. Our work illustrates the power of phenotypic screening of combinatorial protein libraries to interrogate the proteome and chart molecular regulatory networks.
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PMID:An antiproliferative genetic screening identifies a peptide aptamer that targets calcineurin and up-regulates its activity. 1714 7

S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) acts to integrate nutrient and growth factor signals to promote cell growth but also cell survival as a mitochondria-tethered protein kinase that phosphorylates and inactivates the proapoptotic molecule BAD. Here we report that the prefoldin chaperone URI represents a mitochondrial substrate of S6K1. In growth factor-deprived or rapamycin-treated cells, URI forms stable complexes with protein phosphatase (PP)1gamma at mitochondria, thereby inhibiting the activity of the bound enzyme. Growth factor stimulation induces disassembly of URI/PP1gamma complexes through S6K1-mediated phosphorylation of URI at serine 371. This activates a PP1gamma-dependent negative feedback program that decreases S6K1 activity and BAD phosphorylation, thereby altering the threshold for apoptosis. These findings establish URI and PP1gamma as integral components of an S6K1-regulated mitochondrial pathway dedicated, in part, to oppose sustained S6K1 survival signaling and to ensure that the mitochondrial threshold for apoptosis is set in accord with nutrient and growth factor availability.
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PMID:S6K1-mediated disassembly of mitochondrial URI/PP1gamma complexes activates a negative feedback program that counters S6K1 survival signaling. 1793 2

Although the ultimate outcome of prolonged exposure of cells to stress is often death, the early response appears to be the activation of survival pathways that are likely to give the cell an opportunity to repair low-level damage. How these stress-initiated survival pathways influence B cell lymphoma/leukemia 2 (Bcl-2) proteins, the core cell death machinery, has remained unclear; however, two papers now provide insight into stress-mediated survival mechanisms. The liver is unusually resistant to p53-mediated apoptosis. It appears that p53-mediated induction of the gene that encodes insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 (IGFBP1) attenuates the cell death response in hepatocytes by preventing the formation of a complex between p53 and the proapoptotic protein BAK. This is especially interesting as IGFBP1 is not a member of the Bcl-2 family, yet it inhibited BAK. In three unrelated cell lines, another regulatory interaction that influences cell survival occurs at the mitochondria. In this case, protein phosphatase 1gamma (PP1gamma) regulated the phosphorylation status of the Bcl-2/Bcl-X(L)-associated death promoter (BAD). The prefoldin family member URI is normally phosphorylated by S6 kinase 1, which liberates PP1gamma from a URI-PP1gamma complex. However, the withdrawal of growth factors or nutrients stabilizes this complex, which renders PP1gamma inactive. The net response of this stress stimulus is an increased abundance of phosphorylated BAD, which raises the threshold required to trigger cell death. These two studies have identified new players and mechanisms that integrate stress responses and cell death.
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PMID:Cell stress gives a red light to the mitochondrial cell death pathway. 1828 8

Amyloid-beta protein (A beta) and the scrapie isoform of prion protein (PrPSs) have a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and prion-related encephalopathies (PRE), respectively. In both disorders, the deposition of these misfolded proteins is accompanied by apoptotic neuronal loss. However, the pathogenesis and molecular basis of A beta- and PrPSc-neurotoxic effects are not completely understood. The Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase calcineurin (CaN), through the dephosphorylation of the proapoptotic protein BAD, may be the link between Ca2+homeostasis deregulation and apoptotic neuronal death. In this study we used primary cultures of rat brain cortical neurons in order to investigate whether A beta and PrP affect CaN activity. We observed that synthetic peptides of A beta (A beta 25-35 and A beta 1-40) and PrP (PrP106-126) increased CaN activity, but did not affect the levels of this protein phosphatase. Moreover, we found that these peptides reduced the levels of BAD phosphorylated at serine residue 112, and this effect was prevented by the CaN inhibitor FK506. Since dephosphorylated BAD translocates to mitochondria, where it triggers cytochrome c release, we determined the levels of BAD in mitochondrial and cytosolic fractions. The data obtained showed that A beta- and PrP-treated neurons had higher levels of BAD in mitochondria than control neurons. This increase in mitochondrial BAD levels was matched by a decrease in cytochrome c. FK506 prevented the alterations of mitochondrial BAD and cytochrome c levels induced by A beta and PrP peptides. Taken together the data suggest that A beta and PrP increased CaN activity, inducing BAD dephosphorylation and translocation to mitochondria and, subsequently, cytochrome c release that may trigger an apoptotic cascade. Therefore, therapeutic strategies targeting CaN might be valuable for these neurodegenerative disorders.
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PMID:Overactivation of calcineurin induced by amyloid-beta and prion proteins. 1829 34


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