Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.4.22.56 (caspase-3)
35,750 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The Caenorhabditis elegans death susceptibility gene, ced-3, has a number of homologs in vertebrate species, including interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta)-converting enzyme (ICE), Ich-1long, and CPP32. These genes, which encode a family of related proteases, have been shown to induce apoptosis when transfected into eukaryotic cells. However, it remains to be determined whether these proteases are involved in apoptotic cell death under physiological conditions. The purpose of these studies was to examine the role of ICE-related proteases (IRPs) in apoptosis using a physiologically relevant model system, the ovarian follicle. Somatic granulosa cells within ovarian follicles undergo apoptosis during follicular atresia, a process responsible for the depletion of greater than 95% of the follicles established in the postnatal ovary. To accomplish these studies, we cloned partial rat complementary DNAs encoding ICE, Ich-1, and CPP32 and used these complementary DNAs to examine the gonadotropin regulation of ICE, Ich-1, and CPP32 gene expression in the immature rat ovary. We also examined levels of ICE activity in healthy and atretic rat follicles by monitoring the conversion of exogenous pro-IL-1 beta to the active cytokine, and then evaluated the actions of recombinant IL-1 beta on apoptosis in follicles incubated in vitro. Finally, we tested the requirement for IRP activity in granulosa cell apoptosis and follicular atresia by incubating follicles without and with IRP inhibitors. Northern blot analysis of total RNA samples indicated that gonadotropin-promoted follicular survival was associated with reduced ovarian expression of messenger RNAs encoding Ich-1 and CPP32. In contrast, ICE messenger RNA levels were extremely low and were not affected by gonadotropin treatment. We were also unable to detect ICE activity in proteins extracted from either healthy or atretic rat follicles, collectively suggesting that ICE per se may not function in granulosa cell death. As another approach to determine whether ICE is involved in atresia, healthy antral follicles were isolated from ovaries of gonadotropin-primed immature rats and incubated for 24 h in the absence or presence of 100 ng/ml transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF alpha) without and with 100 ng/ml IL-1 beta. Granulosa cells within follicles incubated in medium alone exhibited extensive levels of apoptosis, and this onset of apoptosis was prevented by the inclusion of TGF alpha. Addition of IL-1 beta did not alter basal levels of apoptosis nor did the cytokine antagonize TGF-alpha-promoted follicle survival, providing additional evidence that ICE activity is not required for atresia to occur.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme-related proteases (IRPs) and mammalian cell death: dissociation of IRP-induced oligonucleosomal endonuclease activity from morphological apoptosis in granulosa cells of the ovarian follicle. 758 40

Although the mechanism of mammalian apoptosis has not been elucidated, a protease of the CED-3/ICE family is anticipated to be a component of the death machinery. Several lines of evidence predict that this protease cleaves the death substrate poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) to a specific 85 kDa form observed during apoptosis, is inhibitable by the CrmA protein, and is distinct from ICE. We cloned a ced-3/ICE-related gene, designated Yama, that encodes a protein identical to CPP32 beta. Purified Yama was a zymogen that, when activated, cleaved PARP to generate the 85 kDa apoptotic fragment. Cleavage of PARP by Yama was inhibited by CrmA but not by an inactive point mutant of CrmA. Furthermore, CrmA blocked cleavage of PARP in cells undergoing apoptosis. We propose that Yama may represent an effector component of the mammalian cell death pathway and suggest that CrmA blocks apoptosis by inhibiting Yama.
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PMID:Yama/CPP32 beta, a mammalian homolog of CED-3, is a CrmA-inhibitable protease that cleaves the death substrate poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. 777 19

Genetic analyses of Caenorhabditis elegans has identified three genes that function in the regulation of nematode cell death. Mammalian homologs of two of these genes, ced-9 and ced-3, have been identified and comprise proteins belonging to the Bcl-2 and ICE families, respectively. To date, it is unclear where the negative regulators, ced-9 and bcl-2, function relative to the death effectors, ced-3 and the mammalian ced-3 homologs, respectively. Here, the molecular order of the cell death pathway is defined. Our results establish that Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL function upstream of two members of the ICE/CED-3 family of cysteine proteases, Yama (CPP32/apopain) and ICE-LAP3 (Mch3).
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PMID:Molecular ordering of the cell death pathway. Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL function upstream of the CED-3-like apoptotic proteases. 861 12

The C. elegans gene product ced-9 inhibits programmed cell death by negatively regulating the death-mediating protease ced-3. The mammalian homolog of ced-9 is the oncoprotein Bcl-2. Overexpression of Bcl-2 spares mammalian and nematodal cells from dying and prevents ectopic cell death in ced-9 loss-of-function mutants. Although Bcl-2 has been shown to act as an antioxidant under certain conditions, additional functions have emerged from studies under low oxygen pressure. Here we show that Bcl-2 overexpression impairs activation of the interleukin-1beta converting enzyme-related death protease CPP32/Yama/apopain, the mammalian homolog of ced-3. When U937 monocytes undergo programmed cell death in response to tumor necrosis factor alpha, the inactive CPP32 precursor is cleaved into its active forms. As a consequence poly(ADP ribose) polymerase, a major substrate of CPP32, is faithfully cleaved into a 85 kD fragment. Bcl-2 overexpressing cells are protected from tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced death and display neither CPP32 maturation nor PARP cleavage. The inhibitory effect of Bcl-2 on CPP32 activation is indirect since no physical interaction between the two proteins could be detected. These results indicate that Bcl-2 neutralizes an unknown cellular activator of CPP32 to save cells from programmed cell death.
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PMID:Bcl-2 overexpression blocks activation of the death protease CPP32/Yama/apopain. 861 57

Apoptosis (programmed cell death) is a fundamental process for normal development of multicellular organisms, and is involved in the regulation of the immune system, normal morphogenesis, and maintenance of homeostasis, ICE/CED-3 family cysteine proteases have been implicated directly in apoptosis, but relatively few of the substrates through which their action is mediated have been identified. Here we report that D4-GDI, an abundant hematopoietic cell GDP dissociation inhibitor for the Ras-related Rho family GTPases, is a substrate of the apoptosis protease CPP32/Yama/Apopain. D4-GDI was rapidly truncated to a 23-kDa fragment in Jurkat cells with kinetics that parallel the onset of apoptosis following Fas cross-linking with agonistic antibody or treatment with staurosporine. Fas- and staurosporine-induced apoptosis as well as cleavage of D4-GDI were inhibited by the ICE inhibitor, YVAD-cmk. D4-GDI was cleaved in vitro by recombinant CPP32 expressed in Escherichia coli to form a 23-kDa fragment. The CPP32-mediated cleavage of D4-GDI was completely inhibited by 1 microM DEVD-CHO, a reported selective inhibitor of CPP32. In contrast, the ICE-selective inhibitors, YVAD-CHO or YVAD-cmk, did not inhibit CPP32-mediated D4-GDI cleavage at concentrations up to 50 microM. N-terminal sequencing of the 23-kDa D4-GDI fragment demonstrated that D4-GDI was cleaved between Asp19 and Ser20 of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-like cleavage sequence DELD19S. These data suggest that regulation by D4-GDI of Rho family GTPases may be disrupted during apoptosis by CPP32-mediated cleavage of the GDI protein.
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PMID:D4-GDI, a substrate of CPP32, is proteolyzed during Fas-induced apoptosis. 862 69

The E1A oncoproteins of adenovirus type 5 are potent inducers of apoptotic cell death. To manifest growth promoting and transforming properties, therefore, E1A requires the co-expression of a suppressor of apoptosis. During normal viral infection, this function is provided by the E1B 19 kDa protein. However, the cellular suppressor Bcl-2 can substitute for 19K during infection, and both proteins can effectively cooperate with E1A to facilitate transformation of primary cells in culture. How E1A induces apoptosis and at what point(s) on this pathway Bcl-2 and E1B 19K act are not presently known. Here, we demonstrate that E1A-induced apoptosis is accompanied by specific endo-proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), an event that is linked to the Ced-3/ICE apoptotic pathway in other systems. PARP cleavage was also observed in p53-null cells infected with 19K- virus expressing 13S E1A. In addition to PARP cleavage, expression of E1A caused processing of the zymogen form of CPP32, a Ced-3/ICE protease that cleaves PARP and is required for apoptosis in mammalian cells. These events were prevented when E1A was co-expressed with E1B 19K or BCL-2, which places these suppressors of apoptosis either at or upstream of processing of pro-CPP32.
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PMID:Bcl-2 and adenovirus E1B 19 kDA protein prevent E1A-induced processing of CPP32 and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. 863 9

The Bcl-2 family and the ICE family of cysteine proteases play important roles in regulating cell death. We show here that induction of cell death by a Ca2+ ionophore or hypoxia results in increased levels and activity of active ICE(-like) proteases and the subsequent activation of CPP32/Yama(-like) proteases, and that inhibition of these protease activities reduces the extent of cell death. Overexpression of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL inhibits the cell death and the activation of ICE(-like) and CPP32/Yama(-like) proteases, indicating that Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL act upstream of these proteases. We also show that specific inhibition of ICE(-like) proteases in vivo prevents activation of CPP32/Yama(-like) proteases, whereas inhibition of CPP32/Yama(-like) proteases does not prevent activation of ICE(-like) proteases, suggesting the existence of a protease cascade in vivo that requires ICE(-like) proteases for activation of CPP32/Yama(-like) proteases. Induction of necrotic cell death by KCN also induces activation of ICE(-like) proteases but not of CPP32/Yama(-like) proteases, and Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL inhibit the activation and the cell death, suggesting that the functional site of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL is also upstream of ICE(-like) proteases in at least some forms of necrosis.
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PMID:Bcl-2 expression prevents activation of the ICE protease cascade. 864 64

Human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV) infection leads to a progressive loss of T-cell-mediated immunity associated with T-cell apoptosis. We report here that CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from HIV-1-infected persons are sensitive to Fas (CD95/APO-1)-mediated death induced either by an agonistic anti-Fas antibody or by the physiologic soluble Fas ligand, although showing no sensitivity to tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced death. CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell apoptosis induced by Fas ligation was enhanced by inhibitors of protein synthesis and was prevented either by a soluble Fas receptor decoy or an antagonistic anti-Fas antibody. Fas-mediated apoptosis could also be prevented in a CD4+ or CD8+ T-cell-type manner (1) by several protease antagonists, suggesting the involvement of the interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)-converting enzyme (ICE)-related cysteine protease in CD4+ T-cell death and of both a CPP32-related cysteine protease and a calpain protease in CD8+ T-cell death; and (2) by three cytokines, IL-2, IL-12, and IL-10, that exerted their effects through a mechanism that required de novo protein synthesis. Finally, T-cell receptor (TCR)-induced apoptosis of CD4+ T cells from HIV-infected persons involved a Fas-mediated death process, whereas TCR stimulation of CD8+ T cells led to a different Fas-independent death process. These findings suggest that Fas-mediated T-cell death is involved in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pathogenesis and that modulation of Fas-mediated signaling may represent a target for new therapeutic strategies aimed at the prevention of CD4+ T-cell death in AIDS.
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PMID:Fas-mediated apoptosis of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from human immunodeficiency virus-infected persons: differential in vitro preventive effect of cytokines and protease antagonists. 865 8

Members of the ICE/Ced-3 gene family are likely effector components of the cell death machinery. Here, we characterize a novel member of this family designated ICE-LAP6. By phylogenetic analysis, ICE-LAP6 is classified into the Ced-3 subfamily which includes Ced-3, Yama/CPP32/apopain, Mch2, and ICE-LAP3/Mch3/CMH-1. Interestingly, ICE-LAP6 contains an active site QACGG pentapeptide, rather than the QACRG pentapeptide shared by other family members. Overexpression of ICE-LAP6 induces apoptosis in MCF7 breast carcinoma cells. More importantly, ICE-LAP6 is proteolytically processed into an active cysteine protease by granzyme B, an important component of cytotoxic T cell-mediated apoptosis. Once activated, ICE-LAP6 is able to cleave the death substrate poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase into signature apoptotic fragments.
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PMID:ICE-LAP6, a novel member of the ICE/Ced-3 gene family, is activated by the cytotoxic T cell protease granzyme B. 866 94

The human proto-oncogene bcl-2 and its Caenorhabditis elegans homologue ced-9 inhibit programmed cell death. In contrast, members of the human interleukin-1beta converting enzyme (ICE) family of cysteine proteases and their C. elegans homologue CED-3 promote the death program. Genetic experiments in C. elegans have shown that ced-9 is formally a negative regulator of ced-3 function, but neither those studies nor others have determined whether CED-9 or Bcl-2 proteins act biochemically upstream or downstream of CED-3/ICE proteases. CPP32, like all known members of the CED-3/ICE family, is synthesized as a proenzyme that is subsequently processed into an active protease with specificity for cleavage at Asp-X peptide bonds. In this report, we demonstrate that the CPP32 proenzyme is proteolytically processed and activated in Jurkat cells induced to die by Fas ligation. CPP32 activation is blocked by cell-permeable inhibitors of aspartate-directed, cysteine proteases, suggesting that pro-CPP32 is cleaved by active CPP32 or by other ICE family members. Heterologous expression of Bcl-2 in Jurkat cells prevents Fas-induced cell death as well as proteolytic processing and activation of CPP32. Thus, Bcl-2 acts at or upstream of the CPP32 activation step to inhibit apoptosis induced by Fas stimulation.
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PMID:Fas-induced activation of the cell death-related protease CPP32 Is inhibited by Bcl-2 and by ICE family protease inhibitors. 866 39


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