Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound   Target Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound

---

Query: EC:3.4.22.56 (caspase-3)
35,750 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The ability of melanoma cells to evade engagement of apoptosis plays a significant role in their resistance to chemotherapy. In an attempt to lower the apoptotic threshold of melanoma cells as a possible strategy to increase their drug sensitivity, we generated a hammerhead ribozyme to down-regulate the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein survivin. The JR8 human melanoma cell line was stably transfected with the active ribozyme RZsurv (targeting the 3' end of the GUC294 triplet in the exon 3 of the survivin mRNA) or the catalytically inactive ribozyme mutRZsurv (carrying a mutation in the catalytic core of RZsurv). Two polyclonal cell populations expressing the active (JR8/RZsurv) or the mutant (JR8/mutRZsurv) ribozyme were selected for the study. JR8/RZsurv cells were characterized by a markedly lower survivin protein level than JR8 parental cells, whereas a negligible reduction in survivin expression was observed in JR8/mutRZsurv cells. JR8/RZsurv cells showed a significantly increased sensitivity to the topoisomerase-I inhibitor topotecan (as detected by clonogenic cell survival) compared with JR8/mutRZsurv cells. Moreover, the extent of drug-induced apoptosis (in terms of percentage of apoptotic nuclei and level of caspase-9 and caspase-3 catalytic activity) was significantly greater in JR8/RZsurv than in JR8/mutRZsurv cells. Finally, an increased antitumor activity of oral topotecan was observed in JR8/RZsurv cells grown as xenograft tumors in athymic nude mice compared with JR8/mutRZsurv cells. These results demonstrate that attenuation of survivin expression renders human melanoma cells more susceptible to topotecan-induced apoptosis and more responsive to in vivo treatment, and support the concept that survivin is an attractive target for new therapeutic interventions in melanoma.
...
PMID:Ribozyme-mediated down-regulation of survivin expression sensitizes human melanoma cells to topotecan in vitro and in vivo. 1476 61

In thymocytes, dexamethasone initiates cytochrome c-dependent processing of caspase-9 and the activation of caspase-3 to trigger apoptotic damage. Using murine thymocytes or a thymocyte cell line WEHI 7.1, we show that this pathway is inhibited by dominant-negative caspase-9, the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, or by blocking components of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore complex (PTPC). We use DIDS (dithiocyanatostilbene-2,2-disulfonic acid), a pharmacological modifier of VDAC (voltage-dependent anion channel) function or ectopic expression of hexokinase-II, to examine the role of the VDAC--a mitochondrial outer membrane protein--in this apoptotic pathway. This approach implicated the VDAC in dexamethasone-mediated cytochrome c release, processing of caspase-9 and caspase-3, the loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Deltapsim), nuclear damage and cell lysis. Inhibiting the adenine nucleotide transporter (ANT), a protein on the mitochondrial inner membrane, also blocks dexamethasone-induced apoptosis, but the ANT regulates caspase-3 processing and nuclear damage but not the mitochondrial efflux of cytochrome c. Collectively, the data identify two separable, but connected events in dexamethasone-induced mitochondrial damage in thymocytes. The first event is an increase in permeability of the mitochondrial outer membrane leading to VDAC-regulated efflux of cytochrome c and initial processing of caspase-9 followed by ANT-dependent caspase-3 processing and apoptotic damage to cells.
...
PMID:The mitochondrial phase of the glucocorticoid-induced apoptotic response in thymocytes comprises sequential activation of adenine nucleotide transporter (ANT)-independent and ANT-dependent events. 1497 Oct 37

We investigated the effects of FK228 on cell proliferation and apoptosis against human glioblastoma (GM) T98G, U251MG, and U87MG cells. Upon exposure to FK228, cell proliferation was inhibited, and apoptosis detected by the cleavage of CPP32 was induced. FK228 increased the expression levels of p21 (WAF-1) and of pro-apoptotic Bad protein in all GM cells. Furthermore, FK228 treatment also reduced the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL in all GM cells and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 in U87MG cells, thereby shifting the cellular equilibrium from life to death. An increased accumulation of histone H4 was detected in the p21 (WAF-1) promoter and the structural gene (exon 2) and the Bad structural gene (exon 2 and 3) upon treatment with FK228, as assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay. Thus, the results indicated that an increased expression of p21 (WAF1) and Bad due to FK228 is regulated, at least in part, by the degree of acetylation of the gene-associated histone. We also found that FK228 inhibits cellular invasiveness and decreases MMP-2 activity. In addition, the growth of transplanted human GM m-3 cells into the subcutaneous tissue of hereditary athymic mice was significantly inhibited, and apoptosis was induced with FK228 treatment. The results suggested that FK228 might be useful in the treatment of human GM, although further studies will be needed.
...
PMID:Histone deacetylase inhibitor, FK228, induces apoptosis and suppresses cell proliferation of human glioblastoma cells in vitro and in vivo. 1502 82

Active cell death, also known as apoptosis, has been implicated in the pathophysiology of diseases such as cancer, heart failure and neurodegenerative disorders. We report the anti-apoptotic function of IRAS, which was previously shown to bind imidazoline ligands. The amino acid sequence of human IRAS (hIRAS) is unrelated to known proteins, except for rat IRAS and a mouse homologue named nischarin, which binds the alpha5 integrin subunit of the fibronectin receptor. When stably transfected into PC12 cells, hIRAS localizes to the cytosol as a 167 kDa immunoreactive protein. Clonal PC12 cell lines expressing hIRAS displayed normal serum growth responses. However, hIRAS expression led to prolonged cell survival against known apoptotic stimuli: serum starvation or thapsigargin or staurosporine treatments. The apoptotic population of hIRAS-expressing cells was significantly reduced, and this protection was achieved by a decrease in caspase-3 activity, phosphatidylserine translocation, and nuclear fragmentation. Similar protective effect was obtained in COS7 cells transiently transfected with hIRAS. A partial activation of the PI3 kinase pathway is possibly implicated in the anti-apoptotic effect of IRAS. Thus, IRAS appears to represent a previously unknown anti-apoptotic protein involved in the regulation of cell survival.
...
PMID:IRAS is an anti-apoptotic protein. 1502 19

We previously demonstrated that the organochlorine pesticide dieldrin, a potential chemical risk factor for development of Parkinson's disease (PD), impairs mitochondrial function and promotes apoptosis in dopaminergic PC12 cells. We further demonstrated that caspase-3-dependent proteolytic activation of a member of the novel PKC family, protein kinase Cdelta (PKCdelta), contributes to apoptotic cell death in dopaminergic cells. In the present study, we report that the proapoptotic function of PKCdelta can be regulated by overexpression of the mitochondrial anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2 in dieldrin-treated dopaminergic cells. Exposure to dieldrin (30 or 100 micro M) for 3 h produced a dose-dependent increase in caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation in vector-transfected PC12 cells. Overexpression of human Bcl-2 in PC12 cells completely suppressed dieldrin-induced caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation. Furthermore, dieldrin-induced proteolytic activation of PKCdelta was also remarkably reduced in Bcl-2-overexpressed cells. Together, these results suggest that the proapoptotic function of PKCdelta can be regulated by mitochondrial redox modulators during neurodegenerative processes.
...
PMID:Proteolytic activation of proapoptotic kinase PKCdelta is regulated by overexpression of Bcl-2: implications for oxidative stress and environmental factors in Parkinson's disease. 1503 12

Prion diseases are transmissible neurodegenerative disorders that are invariably fatal in humans and animals. Although the nature of the infectious agent and pathogenic mechanisms of prion diseases are not clear, it has been reported that prion diseases may be associated with aberrant metabolism of cellular prion protein (PrP(C)). In various reports, it has been postulated that PrP(C) may be involved in one or more of the following: neurotransmitter metabolism, cell adhesion, signal transduction, copper metabolism, antioxidant activity or programmed cell death. Despite suggestive results supporting each of these mechanisms, the physiological function(s) of PrP(C) is not known. To investigate whether PrP(C) can prevent apoptotic cell death in prion diseases, we established the cell lines stably expressing PrP(C) from PrP knockout (PrP(-/-)) neuronal cells and examined the role of PrP(C) under apoptosis and/or serum-deprived condition. We found that PrP(-/-) cells were vulnerable to apoptotic cell death and that this vulnerability was rescued by the expression of PrP(C). The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins including p53, Bax, caspase-3, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and cytochrome c were significantly increased in PrP(-/-) cells. In addition, Ca(2+) levels of mitochondria were increased, whereas mitochondrial membrane potentials were decreased in PrP(-/-) cells. These results strongly suggest that PrP(C) may play a central role as an effective anti-apoptotic protein through caspase-dependent apoptotic pathways in mitochondria, supporting the concept that disruption of PrP(C) and consequent reduction of anti-apoptotic capacity of PrP(C) may be one of the pathogenic mechanisms of prion diseases.
...
PMID:The cellular prion protein (PrPC) prevents apoptotic neuronal cell death and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by serum deprivation. 1509 84

Cowpox virus (CPV) expresses the serpin (serine proteinase inhibitor) CrmA, an anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic protein required for production of red pocks on chicken chorioallantoic membranes (CAMs). In vitro, CrmA inhibits several caspases and granzyme B. Altering the critical P1-aspartate in the CrmA reactive centre loop to alanine resulted in a virus (CPV-CrmA-D303A) that resembled CPV deleted for CrmA (CPVDeltaCrmA : : lacZ); on CAMs it produced white, inflammatory pocks with activated caspase-3 and reduced virus yields, suggesting that CrmA activities are mediated via proteinase inhibition. CrmA in CPV was replaced with SERP2 from Myxoma virus (MYX) or baculovirus P35, which inhibit similar proteinases in vitro. SERP2 and P35 each blocked caspase-3-mediated apoptosis but were unable to control inflammation of CAMs. However, SERP2 and P35 restored virus yields, indicating that the decreased virus titres seen with CPVDeltaCrmA : : lacZ resulted from apoptosis rather than inflammation. To compare the activities of CrmA and SERP2 further, rabbits were infected with MYX recombinant viruses. Intradermal infection of rabbits with MYX was uniformly lethal, generating raised primary lesions and many secondary lesions. In contrast, deletion of SERP2 from MYX (MYXDeltaSERP2 : : lacZ) caused little mortality and produced flat primary lesions with few secondary lesions. Replacement of SERP2 with CrmA (MYXDeltaSERP2 : : CrmA) resulted in partial complementation with flat primary lesions, many secondary lesions and death in 70 % of the rabbits. Therefore, CrmA and SERP2 were not functionally interchangeable during infection of CAMs or rabbits, implying that these serpins have activities that are not evident from biochemical studies with human caspases.
...
PMID:Cowpox virus CrmA, Myxoma virus SERP2 and baculovirus P35 are not functionally interchangeable caspase inhibitors in poxvirus infections. 1510 44

We have shown that DNA encoding the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL enhances E7-specific CD8+ T-cell responses and DNA encoding pro-apoptotic protein caspase-3 suppresses E7-specific CD8+ T-cell responses when co-administered intradermally via gene gun with DNA encoding human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) E7 linked to the sorting signal of the lysosome-associated membrane protein type 1 (LAMP-1). E7 and LAMP-1 are linked to form the chimeric Sig/E7/LAMP-1 (SEL). Because co-administration does not ensure delivery of both constructs to a single cell, we used pVITRO, a mammalian expression vector with double promoters, to ensure expression of both molecules in the same cell. We vaccinated C57BL/6 mice with pVITRO-SEL-Bcl-xL, pVITRO-SEL-mtBcl-xL, pVITRO-SEL, or pVITRO-SEL-caspase-3 intradermally via gene gun and intramuscularly via injection. We demonstrated that vaccination with pVITRO achieved similar results to a co-administration strategy: that Bcl-xL enhanced the E7-specific CTL response and caspase-3 suppressed the E7-specific CTL response. In addition, we found intradermal vaccination elicited significantly higher numbers of E7-specific CD8+ T cells compared to intramuscular vaccination. Thus, intradermal vaccination with a pVITRO vector combining an anti-apoptotic strategy (Bcl-xL) and an intracellular targeting strategy (SEL) further enhances the E7-specific CD8+ T-cell response and guarantees co-expression of both encoded molecules in transfected cells.
...
PMID:A DNA vaccine co-expressing antigen and an anti-apoptotic molecule further enhances the antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell immune response. 1515 84

Previously, we demonstrated that the organochlorine pesticide dieldrin induces mitochondrial depolarization, caspase-3 activation and apoptosis in dopaminergic PC12 cells. We also demonstrated that protein kinase Cdelta (PKCdelta), a member of a novel PKC family of proteins, is proteolytically activated by caspase-3 to mediate apoptotic cell death processes. In the present study, we have further characterized the protective effect of the major mitochondrial anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 against dieldrin-induced apoptotic events in dopaminergic cells. Exposure to dieldrin (30-100 microM) produced significant cytotoxicity and caspase-3 activation within 3h in vector-transfected PC12 cells, whereas human Bcl-2-transfected PC12 cells were almost completely resistant to dieldrin-induced cytotoxicity and caspase-3 activation. Also, dieldrin (30-300 microM) treatment induced proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), which was blocked by pretreatment with caspase-3 inhibitors Z-DEVD-FMK and Z-VAD-FMK. Additionally, dieldrin-induced chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation were completely blocked in Bcl-2-overexpressed PC12 cells as compared to vector control cells. Together, these results clearly indicate that overexpression of mitochondrial anti-apoptotic protein protects against dieldrin-induced apoptotic cell death and further suggest that dieldrin primarily alters mitochondrial function to initiate apoptotic cell death in dopaminergic cells.
...
PMID:Dieldrin promotes proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and apoptosis in dopaminergic cells: protective effect of mitochondrial anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. 1518 12

Cardiac fibroblasts play an essential role in the physiology of the heart. These produce extracellular matrix proteins and synthesize angiogenic and cardioprotective factors. Although fibroblasts of cardiac origin are known to be resistant to apoptosis and to remain metabolically active in situations compromising cell survival, the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here, we report that cardiac fibroblasts were more resistant than dermal or pulmonary fibroblasts to mitochondria-dependent cell death. Cytochrome c release was blocked in cardiac fibroblasts but not in dermal fibroblasts treated with staurosporine, etoposide, serum deprivation, or simulated ischemia, precluding caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation. Resistance to apoptosis of cardiac fibroblasts correlated with the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, whereas skin and lung fibroblasts did not express detectable levels of this protein. Bcl-x(L,) Bax, and Bak were expressed at similar levels in cardiac, dermal, and lung fibroblasts. In addition, the death of cardiac fibroblasts during hypoxia was not associated with the cleavage of Bid but rather with Bcl-2 disappearance, suggesting the requirement of the mitochondrial apoptotic machinery to execute death receptor-induced programmed cell death. Knockdown of bcl-2 expression by siRNA in cardiac fibroblasts increased their apoptotic response to staurosporine, serum, and glucose deprivation and to simulated ischemia. Moreover, dermal fibroblasts overexpressing Bcl-2 achieved a similar level of resistance to these stimuli as cardiac fibroblasts. Thus, our data demonstrate that Bcl-2 is an important effector of heart fibroblast resistance to apoptosis and highlight a probable mechanism for promoting survival advantage in fibroblasts of cardiac origin.
...
PMID:Bcl-2 is a key factor for cardiac fibroblast resistance to programmed cell death. 1518 68


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>

---