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

Apoptosis was induced in human glioma cell lines by exposure to 100 nM calphostin C, a specific inhibitor of protein kinase C. Calphostin C-induced apoptosis was associated with synchronous down-regulation of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL as well as activation of caspase-3 but not caspase-1. The exposure to calphostin C led to activation of stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK) and p38 kinase and concurrent inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Upstream of ERK, Shc was shown to be activated, but its downstream Raf1 and ERK were inhibited. The pretreatment with acetyl-Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp-aldehyde, a relatively selective inhibitor of caspase-3, or benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone (z-VAD.fmk), a broad spectrum caspase inhibitor, similarly inhibited calphostin C-induced activation of SAPK/JNK and p38 kinase as well as apoptotic nuclear damages (chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation) and cell shrinkage, suggesting that caspase-3 functions upstream of SAPK/JNK and p38 kinase, but did not block calphostin C-induced surface blebbing and cell death. On the other hand, the inhibition of SAPK/JNK by transfection of dominant negative SAPK/JNK and that of p38 kinase by SB203580 induced similar effects on the calphostin C-induced apoptotic phenotypes and cell death as did z-VAD.fmk and acetyl-Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp-aldehyde, but the calphostin C-induced PARP cleavage was not changed, suggesting that SAPK/JNK and p38 kinase are involved in the DNA fragmentation pathway downstream of caspase-3. The present findings suggest, therefore, that the activation of SAPK/JNK and p38 kinase is dispensable for calphostin C-mediated and z-VAD.fmk-resistant cell death.
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PMID:Activation of stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase and p38 kinase in calphostin C-induced apoptosis requires caspase-3-like proteases but is dispensable for cell death. 1002 38

Several recent studies have indicated that the Fas-Fas ligand system may be critical for pancreatic beta-cell destruction in type 1 diabetes. Although the fundamental roles of caspases in the mammalian apoptotic machinery have been elucidated, it is not known which caspase or caspases play a major role in Fas-mediated apoptosis of beta-cells. In this study, we transfected human Fas cDNA into a mouse beta-cell line (betaTC1) and established a beta-cell clone expressing human Fas. This clone, designated hFas/betaTC1, underwent apoptosis when exposed to anti-Fas, showing hallmarks of apoptosis (chromatin condensation, nucleolar disintegration, internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, and annexin V staining), indicating that the mouse beta-cell line has the intact machinery of Fas-mediated apoptosis. The cross-linking of Fas by anti-Fas resulted in the elevation of caspase-3-like, but not caspase-1-like, protease activity 2-12 h after the addition of the anti-Fas. A caspase-3 inhibitor, Z-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone, attenuated the Fas-mediated beta-cell apoptosis, while a caspase-1 inhibitor, acetyl-Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp-chloromethylketone, failed to suppress the apoptosis. Thus the Fas-induced death signal apparently bypassed caspase-1 in the cells. Furthermore, an antisense caspase-3 construct blocked caspase-3 activation and substantially suppressed Fas-triggered apoptosis of hFas/betaTC1 cells. These observations suggest the essential role of caspase-3 in Fas-mediated apoptosis of the beta-cell line.
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PMID:Essential role of caspase-3 in apoptosis of mouse beta-cells transfected with human Fas. 1007 46

Protein phosphorylation in a human glioblastoma cell line, T98G, was examined after exposure to oxidative stress in vitro. Hydrogen peroxide (1 mM) markedly induced tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and serine phosphorylation of Akt at 1 h after stimulation. Concommitantly, the association of FAK with phosphatidylinositide 3'-OH-kinase (PI 3-kinase) was also observed by the hydrogen peroxide stimulation. When T98G cells were incubated with wortmannin, a PI 3-kinase inhibitor, both PI 3-kinase activity and phosphorylation of Akt were inhibited, whereas apoptosis by oxidative stress was accelerated. Concomitant with apoptosis, elevated level of CPP32 protease activity (caspase-3) was observed, with decreases in Bcl-2 protein and increases in Bax protein. These results suggested that in the signal transduction pathway from FAK to PI 3-kinase, Akt promotes survival. Thus, it became apparent that FAK is the upstream signal protein of the PI 3-kinase-Akt survival pathway in hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in T98G cells.
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PMID:FAK is the upstream signal protein of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt survival pathway in hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis of a human glioblastoma cell line. 1018 51

Apoptosis has been associated with oxidative stress in biological systems. Caspases have been considered to play a pivotal role in the execution phase of apoptosis. However, which caspases function as executioners in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced apoptosis is not known. The present study was performed to identify the major caspases acting in ROS-induced apoptosis. Treatment of HL-60 cells with 50 microM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for 4 h induced the morphological changes such as condensed and/or fragmented nuclei, increase in caspase-3 subfamily protease activities, reduction of the procaspase-3 and a DNA fragmentation. To determine the role of caspases in H2O2-induced apoptosis, caspase inhibitors, acetyl-Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp-chloromethyl ketone (Ac-YVAD-cmk), acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-aldehyde (Ac-DEVD-CHO) and acetyl-Val-Glu-Ile-Asp-aldehyde (Ac-VEID-CHO), selective for caspase-1 subfamily, caspase-3 subfamily and caspase-6, respectively, were loaded into the cells using an osmotic lysis of pinosomes method. Of these caspase inhibitors, only Ac-DEVD-CHO completely blocked morphological changes, caspase-3 subfamily protease activation and DNA ladder formation in H2O2-treated HL-60 cells. This inhibitory effect was dose-dependent. These results suggest that caspase-3, but not caspase-1 is required for commitment to ROS-triggered apoptosis.
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PMID:Hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells requires caspase-3 activation. 1019 75

The chimeric oncogene bcr-abl is detected in virtually every case of chronic myelogenous leukemia. It has been shown that cells (such as K562) expressing Bcr-Abl/p210, a protein tyrosine kinase, not only undergo cellular transformation but also demonstrate multiple drug resistance. Recent studies also demonstrate that the proteasome is involved in the survival signaling pathway(s). In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that the proteasome might play a role in regulating Bcr-Abl function. We have demonstrated by using a variety of inhibitors that inhibition of the proteasome, but not of the cysteine protease, activity is able to activate the apoptotic cell death program in K562 cells. Proteasome inhibition-induced apoptosis is demonstrated by condensation and fragmentation of nuclei, appearance of an apoptotic population with sub-G1 DNA content, the internucleosomal fragmentation of DNA, and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and can be blocked by a specific caspase-3-like tetrapeptide inhibitor. Western blot analysis with specific antibodies to c-Abl and Bcr proteins show that treatment of K562 cells with a proteasome inhibitor results in significant reduction of Bcr-Abl protein expression, which occurs several hours before the onset of apoptotic execution. Levels of c-Abl/p145 and Bcr/p160 proteins, however, remain essentially unaltered at that time. Furthermore, reduced Bcr-Abl expression is reflected in significantly attenuated Bcr-Abl-mediated protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Taken together, these results indicate that proteasome inhibition is sufficient to inactivate Bcr-Abl function and subsequently activate the apoptotic death program in cells that are resistant to apoptosis induced by chemotherapy.
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PMID:Proteasome inhibition leads to significant reduction of Bcr-Abl expression and subsequent induction of apoptosis in K562 human chronic myelogenous leukemia cells. 1021 53

The relationship between focal adhesion protein (FAK) activity and loss of cell-matrix contact during apoptosis is not entirely clear nor has the role of FAK in chemically induced apoptosis been studied. We investigated the status of FAK phosphorylation and cleavage in renal epithelial cells during apoptosis caused by the nephrotoxicant dichlorovinylcysteine (DCVC). DCVC treatment caused a loss of cell-matrix contact which was preceded by a dissociation of FAK from the focal adhesions and tyrosine dephosphorylation of FAK. Paxillin was also dephosphorylated at tyrosine. DCVC treatment activated caspase-3 which was associated with cleavage of FAK. However, FAK cleavage occurred after cells had already lost focal adhesions indicating that cleavage of FAK by caspases is not responsible for loss of FAK from focal adhesions. Accordingly, although inhibition of caspase activity with zVAD-fmk blocked activation of caspase-3, FAK cleavage, and apoptosis, it neither affected dephosphorylation nor translocation of FAK or paxillin. However, zVAD-fmk completely blocked the cell detachment caused by DCVC treatment. Orthovanadate prevented DCVC-induced tyrosine dephosphorylation of both FAK and paxillin; however, it did not inhibit DCVC-induced apoptosis and actually potentiated focal adhesion disorganization and cell detachment. Thus, FAK dephosphorylation and loss of focal adhesions are not due to caspase activation; however, caspases are required for FAK proteolysis and cell detachment.
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PMID:Dephosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and loss of focal contacts precede caspase-mediated cleavage of FAK during apoptosis in renal epithelial cells. 1022 94

The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is the principal mechanism for the degradation of short-lived proteins in eukaryotic cells. Here we examine the possibility that ubiquitin-proteasome is involved in regulating the levels of Bcl-2, which is abundantly expressed in M-07e cells, a granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-dependent human leukaemic cell line. Apoptosis in M-07e cells, induced by GM-CSF withdrawal, was associated with a gradual cleavage of Bcl-2 into a 22 kDa fragment. Treatment of M-07e cells with benzyloxycarbonyl-Leu-Leu-l-leucinal (Z-LLL-CHO; MG-132), a reversible ubiquitin-proteasome inhibitor, markedly accelerated the cleavage of Bcl-2 and promoted cell death through the apoptotic pathway. The cleavage of Bcl-2 was inhibited by a caspase-3 (CPP32)-specific inhibitor [acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-CHO (DEVD-CHO)] but not caspase 1 inhibitor (acetyl-Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp-CHO), suggesting that Bcl-2 is a proteolytic substrate of a caspase-3-like protease activated during apoptosis. The simultaneous addition of recombinant human GM-CSF (rhGM-CSF) to M-07e cultures delayed the activation of caspase 3 and Bcl-2 cleavage triggered by Z-LLL-CHO, suggesting that the activation of the GM-CSF signalling pathway can partly overcome the apoptotic effect induced by Z-LLL-CHO. Apoptosis induced by inhibition of the proteasome pathway was verified in studies with lactacystin, a highly specific and irreversible proteasome inhibitor. Lactacystin-induced apoptosis in M-07e cells was remarkably similar to that induced by Z-LLL-CHO, which included caspase 3 activation, cleavage of Bcl-2 into a 22 kDa fragment and, ultimately, cell death. These results showed that inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathways can lead to the activation of a DEVD-CHO-sensitive caspase and induces Bcl-2 cleavage, which might have a role in mediating apoptosis in M-07e cells.
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PMID:Inhibition of ubiquitin-proteasome pathway activates a caspase-3-like protease and induces Bcl-2 cleavage in human M-07e leukaemic cells. 1022 67

Exposure of human keratinocyte HaCaT cells to ultraviolet B-irradiation induced apoptotic morphologic changes. In this study, we found that the ultraviolet B irradiation (0.25 J per cm2) induced phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and c-jun N-terminal protein kinase, and also significant activation of caspase-3 (CPP32-like protease) and a small increase of caspase-1 (ICE-like protease) activity in the early stages of ultraviolet B-induced apoptosis. Pretreatments of the cells with a p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor, SB203580, and a caspase-3 inhibitor, Ac-Asp-Met-Gln-Asp-1-aldehyde, suppressed the ultraviolet B irradiation-induced apoptosis by approximately 60% as estimated by nuclear staining and DNA laddering. Pretreatment with caspase-1 inhibitor, Ac-Tyr-Val-Lys-Asp-aldehyde was without effect. Ultraviolet B-induced caspase-3 activation resulted in cleavage of poly(ADP) ribose polymerase, which was abolished by the caspase-3 inhibitor. SB203580 pretreatment prevented activation of caspase-3 and caspase-1, and also suppressed the cleavage of poly(ADP) ribose polymerase. Neither ceramide generation nor sphingomyelinase activation (neutral and acid) was observed in the ultraviolet B-irradiated HaCaT cells. Also various antioxidants did not affect the caspase activation induced by ultraviolet B irradiation. These results indicated that activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase upstream of caspases may play an important part in the apoptotic process of keratinocytes exposed to ultraviolet B irradiation.
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PMID:Activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and caspases in UVB-induced apoptosis of human keratinocyte HaCaT cells. 1023 70

Caveolae-like domains (CLDs) have been hypothesized to mediate apoptosis, since they contain sphingomyelin and initiate the conversion of sphingomyelin to ceramide. To address whether CLDs are directly involved in apoptosis, CLDs from U937 cells were isolated, taking advantage of their detergent insolubility and low density. The CLDs contained alkaline phosphatase as well as many signaling molecules, including Fyn, protein kinase Calpha, Raf-1, phospholipase Cgamma1, and tyrosine phosphoproteins. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescent data showed that TNF receptor 1 colocalized with CD36 in CLDs, suggesting that TNF-alpha-initiated apoptosis occurs in CLDs. When cells were incubated with lipoprotein-deficient medium, the cholesterol concentration was greatly decreased in CLDs but not in other fractions, implying that the CLDs were selectively disrupted. In the CLD-disrupted cells, the surface expression of TNF receptor 1 and CD36 was significantly reduced. Analysis of cellular morphology, percent DNA fragmentation, DNA laddering, and caspase-3 activity showed that TNF-alpha-mediated apoptosis was blocked in CLD-disrupted cells, whereas anti-Fas-mediated apoptosis was not. Since Fas was not found in CLDs of Jurkat cells, apoptosis by Fas ligation might not require CLDs. Taken together, these data strongly imply that TNF-alpha-mediated apoptosis is initiated in CLDs.
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PMID:TNF-alpha-mediated apoptosis is initiated in caveolae-like domains. 1035 68

Glutathione-doxorubicin (GSH-DXR) effectively induced apoptosis in rat hepatoma cells (AH66) at a lower concentration than DXR. After 24 h of drug treatment, DNA fragmentation of the cells was observed at the concentration of 1.0 microM DXR or 0.01 microM GSH-DXR. Increase in caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation were observed within 12 h and 15 h after treatment with either drug. Intracellular caspase-3 activity was increased in a dose-dependent manner after treatment with DXR or GSH-DXR, and caspase-3 activity correlated well with the ability to induce DNA fragmentation. When the cells were treated with either DXR or GSH-DXR for only 6 h, apoptotic DNA degradation and caspase-3 activation occurred 24 h after treatment. DNA fragmentation caused by these drugs was prevented completely by simultaneous treatment with the caspase-3 inhibitor, acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-aldehyde (DEVD-CHO), at 10 microM. By contrast, DNA fragmentation was not prevented by the caspase-1 inhibitor, acetyl-Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp-aldehyde (YVAD-CHO), at the same concentration as DEVD-CHO, and caspase-1 was not activated at all by the treatment of AH66 cells with both DXR and GSH-DXR. These results demonstrate that DXR and GSH-DXR induce apoptotic DNA fragmentation via caspase-3 activation, but not via caspase-1 activation, and that GSH-DXR enhances the activation of caspase-3 approximately 100-fold more than DXR. Moreover, the findings suggested that an upstream apoptotic signal that can activate caspase-3 is induced within 6 h by treating AH66 cells with the drug.
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PMID:Caspase-3 activation during apoptosis caused by glutathione-doxorubicin conjugate. 1036 Jun 48


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