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)

Temperature-sensitive mutant of Moloney murine leukemia virus-TB (MoMuLV-ts1)-mediated neuronal death in mice is likely due to both loss of glial support and release of cytokines and neurotoxins from ts1-infected glial cells. Cytotoxic mediators present in ts1-induced spongiform lesions may generate endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. We investigated whether ER stress signaling is involved in ts1-mediated neuronal loss in the brain of infected mice. ts1-infected brainstems were found to show significant increases in phosphorylation of the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase-like ER kinase and eukaryotic initiation factor 2-alpha. In addition, increased expression of growth arrest DNA damage 153 (GADD153), glucose-regulated protein 78, and caspase-12 were accompanied by increases in processing of caspase-12 and its downstream target, caspase-3. All of these events are markers of ER stress. We observed that GADD153 and cleaved caspase-3 were present in degenerative neurons in the lesions of infected mice, but not in uninfected controls. Phosphorylated calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-alpha was significantly increased, and was coexpressed with GADD153 in a large proportion of neurons undergoing early and advanced degenerative changes. Finally, neuronal degeneration in spongiform lesions was associated with increase in calcium (Ca(2+)) accumulation in mitochondria. Together, these results suggest that ts1 infection-mediated neuronal degeneration in mice may result from activation of ER stress signaling pathways, presumably initiated by perturbation of Ca(2+) homeostasis. Our findings highlight the importance of the ER stress signaling pathway in ts1 infection-induced neuronal degeneration and death.
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PMID:Activation of endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling pathway is associated with neuronal degeneration in MoMuLV-ts1-induced spongiform encephalomyelopathy. 1509 14

Following endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which occurs via inhibition of the glycosylation of newly synthesized proteins, caspase family proteins are activated to promote ER stress-mediated apoptosis. Here we report that nerve growth factor (NGF) suppressed the ER stress-mediated apoptosis in tunicamycin-treated PC12 cells through an extensive decrease of the caspase-3/-9/-12 activity. Detailed analysis of the mechanism underlying the NGF-mediated cell survival revealed that the activities of all seriate caspases were reduced through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) signaling pathway induced by NGF. Moreover, we found that the activity of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) was not essential for the tunicamycin-induced apoptosis of PC12 cells. These results demonstrate that the inactivation of caspase-12 via the NGF-mediated PI3-K signaling pathway leads to inactivation of the caspase cascade including caspase-3 and -9.
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PMID:Nerve growth factor attenuates endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis via suppression of caspase-12 activity. 1511 43

The causes of sporadic Parkinson's disease (PD) are poorly understood. 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), a PD mimetic, is widely used to model this neurodegenerative disorder in vitro and in vivo; however, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. We demonstrate here that 6-OHDA evoked endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which was characterized by an up-regulation in the expression of GRP78 and GADD153 (Chop), cleavage of procaspase-12, and phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor-2 alpha in a human dopaminergic neuronal cell line (SH-SY5Y) and cultured rat cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs). Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK3beta) responds to ER stress, and its activity is regulated by phosphorylation. 6-OHDA significantly inhibited phosphorylation of GSK3beta at Ser9, whereas it induced hyperphosphorylation of Tyr216 with little effect on GSK3beta expression in SH-SY5Y cells and PC12 cells (a rat dopamine cell line), as well as CGNs. Furthermore, 6-OHDA decreased the expression of cyclin D1, a substrate of GSK3beta, and dephosphorylated Akt, the upstream signaling component of GSK3beta. Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), an ER stress-responsive phosphatase, was involved in 6-OHDA-induced GSK3beta dephosphorylation (Ser9). Blocking GSK3beta activity by selective inhibitors (lithium, TDZD-8, and L803-mts) prevented 6-OHDA-induced cleavage of caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), DNA fragmentations and cell death. With a tetracycline (Tet)-controlled TrkB inducible system, we demonstrated that activation of TrkB in SH-SY5Y cells alleviated 6-OHDA-induced GSK3beta dephosphorylation (Ser9) and ameliorated 6-OHDA neurotoxicity. TrkB activation also protected CGNs against 6-OHDA-induced damage. Although antioxidants also offered neuroprotection, they had little effect on 6-OHDA-induced GSK3beta activation. These results suggest that GSK3beta is a critical intermediate in pro-apoptotic signaling cascades that are associated with neurodegenerative diseases, thus providing a potential target site amenable to pharmacological intervention.
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PMID:Glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3beta) mediates 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neuronal death. 1513 87

Legionella pneumophila is a facultative intracellular pathogen that can replicate within phagocytic host cells such as protozoa and macrophages. Evasion of phagocytic killing is mediated by the type IV Dot/Icm secretion system, which exports bacterial effectors that modulate biogenesis of the phagosome to evade endocytic fusion and also to intercept vesicles derived from the endoplasmic reticulum. Bacterial replication is associated with activation of caspase-3 in infected macrophages and is culminated in apoptosis and pore formation-mediated cytolysis of the host.
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PMID:Molecular and cell biology of Legionella pneumophila. 1514 27

We investigated the cell death effects of eight xanthones on PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells. Among these compounds, alpha-mangostin, from the fruit hull of Garcinia mangostana L., had the most potent effect with the EC(50) value of 4 microM. Alpha-mangostin-treated PC12 cells demonstrated typical apoptotic DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 cleavage (equivalent to activation). The flow cytometric analysis indicated that this compound induced apoptosis in time-and concentration-dependent manners. Alpha-mangostin showed the features of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway such as mitochondrial membrane depolarization and cytochrome c release. Furthermore, alpha-mangostin inhibited the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase markedly. There was a correlation between the Ca(2+)-ATPase inhibitory effects and the apoptotic effects of the xanthone derivatives. On the other hand, c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK/SAPK), one of the signaling molecules of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, was activated with alpha-mangostin treatment. These results suggest that alpha-mangostin inhibits Ca(2+)-ATPase to cause apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway.
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PMID:Alpha-mangostin induces Ca2+-ATPase-dependent apoptosis via mitochondrial pathway in PC12 cells. 1515 48

Studies with in-vitro-cultured neurons treated with amyloid-beta (A beta) peptides demonstrated neuronal loss by apoptosis that is due, at least in part, to the perturbation of intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis. In addition, it was shown that an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-specific apoptotic pathway mediated by caspase-12, which is activated upon the perturbation of ER Ca(2+) homeostasis, may contribute to A beta toxicity. To elucidate the involvement of deregulation of ER Ca(2+) homeostasis in neuronal death induced by A beta peptides, we have performed a comparative study using the synthetic peptides A beta(25-35) or A beta(1-40) and thapsigargin, a selective inhibitor of Ca(2+) uptake into the ER. Incubation of cortical neurons with thapsigargin (2.5 microM) increased the intracellular Ca(2+) levels and activated caspase-3, leading to a significant increase in the number of apoptotic cells. Similarly, upon incubation of cortical cultures with the A beta peptides (A beta(25-35), 25 microM; A beta(1-40), 0.5 microM), we observed a significant increase in [Ca(2+)](i), in caspase-3-like activity, and in number of neurons exhibiting apoptotic morphology. The role of ER Ca(2+) release through ryanodine receptors (RyR) or inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP(3)R) in A beta neurotoxicity has been also investigated. Dantrolene and xestospongin C, inhibitors of ER Ca(2+) release through RyR or IP(3)R, were able to prevent the increase in [Ca(2+)](i) and the activation of caspase-3 and to protect partially against apoptosis induced by treatment with A beta(25-35) or A beta(1-40). In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the release of Ca(2+) from the ER, mediated by both RyR and IP(3)R, is involved in A beta toxicity and can contribute, together with the activation of other intracellular neurotoxic mechanisms, to A beta-induced neuronal death. This study suggests that A beta accumulation may have a key role in the pathogenesis of AD as a result of deregulation of ER Ca(2+) homeostasis.
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PMID:Involvement of endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release through ryanodine and inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptors in the neurotoxic effects induced by the amyloid-beta peptide. 1516 Mar 98

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) resident-94 kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP94), plays a pivotal role in cell death due to ER stress. In our study expression of GRP94 was increased in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells due to exposure to calcium ionophore A23187. A23187-mediated cell death was associated with activation of the major cysteine proteases, caspase-3 and calpain. Pretreatment with adenovirus-mediated antisense GRP94 (AdGRP94AS) reduced viability of SH-SY5Y cells subjected to A23187 treatment compared with wild type cells or cells with adenovirus-mediated overexpression of GRP94 (AdGRP94S). These results indicated that suppression of GRP94 is associated with accelerated cell death. Moreover, expression of GRP94 suppressed A23187-induced cell death and stabilized calcium homeostasis.
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PMID:GRP94 reduces cell death in SH-SY5Y cells perturbated calcium homeostasis. 1519 33

The Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMuLV)-ts1 retrovirus, a naturally occurring mutant of MoMuLV-TB, causes a neuroimmunodegenerative syndrome in mice. The authors show here that ts1 triggers apoptosis in immortalized astrocytes, C1 cells, and primary cultured astrocytes, and that this apoptosis is caused by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress resulting from accumulation of the viral envelope preprotein gPr80(env). In ts1-infected C1 cells, an unfolded protein response was identified by activation of the ER-resident transmembrane protein kinase PERK, an event that leads to hyperphosphorylation of eIF2 alpha, up-regulation of GRP78, increased amounts of GADD153/CHOP, and cleavage of procaspase-12. Up-regulation of GRP78 and cleavage of procaspase-12 were also detected in primary cultured astrocytes infected with ts1. In ts1-infected C1 cells, ER stress was followed by mitochondrial stress, detected as mitochondrial transmembrane potential dissipation, cleavage of procaspase-9, and induction of activated caspase-3. In the brainstems of ts1-infected mice, activated caspase-3 and damaged mitochondria were identified in astrocytes within areas showing spongiform degeneration. Together the data imply that both ER stress- and mitochondrial stress-related apoptotic pathways are involved in ts1-induced astrocyte death.
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PMID:Possible involvement of both endoplasmic reticulum- and mitochondria-dependent pathways in MoMuLV-ts1-induced apoptosis in astrocytes. 1520 24

G418 is used extensively in transfection experiments to select eukaryotic cells that have acquired neomycin resistance genes, but the mechanism is still elusive. To investigate this, we treated normal rat kidney cells with G418 for 3 days and found that the cells presented typical apoptotic features such as cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation, and caspase-3 activation. However, there was no low-molecular DNA ladder. The pan caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk completely inhibited this type of apoptosis, suggesting a caspase-dependent mechanism. Caspase cascades in apoptosis induced by G418 were initiated by at least two pathways: the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, which was observed under confocal microscopy, and endoplasmic reticulum stress, demonstrated by the increase in Ca2+ concentration and the cleavage of m-calpain and procaspase-12. Both pathways activated caspase-9. Inhibition of caspase-9 activity by z-LEHD-fmk prevented most of the cells from apoptosis, and E-64d, an inhibitor of calpain accentuated this block. The cleavage of caspase-9 and caspase-12 was blocked only by simultaneous application of z-VAD-fmk and E-64d, but not by either alone. E-64d did not prevent the release of cytochrome c. These results indicated that these two pathways were independent of each other.
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PMID:Cytochrome c release and endoplasmic reticulum stress are involved in caspase-dependent apoptosis induced by G418. 1524 57

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of motoneurons in the spinal cord and brain stem. We have characterized motoneuron death in transgenic mice carrying the mutant human copper/zinc superoxide dismutase, as a model for familial ALS. Previous studies have shown the involvement of mitochondria in nerve cell demise in these animals. We report here an early cleavage of caspase-12, residing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), in the spinal cord during the course of the disease. Apart from caspase-12, caspase-9, and caspase-3 were activated in the transgenic ALS mice. Staining with an antibody for nitrotyrosine, as a marker for oxidative stress, showed a large increase in the ALS mice. The results indicate that oxidative and ER induced stress causing caspase-12 activation are involved in neuronal death and disease progression in ALS. Caspase-12 and the ER pathway for cell death may constitute potential novel targets for the treatment of ALS.
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PMID:Caspase-12 cleavage and increased oxidative stress during motoneuron degeneration in transgenic mouse model of ALS. 1531 3


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