Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.4.22.62 (caspase-9)
 7,507 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

X-linked IAP (XIAP) suppresses apoptosis by binding to initiator caspase-9 and effector caspases-3 and -7. Smac/DIABLO that is released from mitochondria during apoptosis can relieve its inhibitory activity. Here we investigated the role of XIAP in the previously found obstruction of chemotherapy-induced caspase-9 activation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Endogenously expressed XIAP bound active forms of both caspase-9 and caspase-3. However, downregulation of XIAP using shRNA or disruption of XIAP/caspase-9 interaction using a small molecule Smac mimic were unable to significantly induce caspase-9 activity, indicating that despite a strong binding potential of XIAP to caspase-9 it is not a major determinant in blocking caspase-9 in NSCLC cells. Although unable to revert caspase-9 blockage, the Smac mimic was able to enhance cisplatin-induced apoptosis, which was accompanied by increased caspase-3 activity. Additionally, a more detailed analysis of caspase activation in response to cisplatin indicated a reverse order of activation, whereby caspase-3 cleaved caspase-9 yielding an inactive form. Our findings indicate that the use of small molecule Smac mimic, when combined with an apoptotic trigger, may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of NSCLC.
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PMID:Role of XIAP in inhibiting cisplatin-induced caspase activation in non-small cell lung cancer cells: a small molecule Smac mimic sensitizes for chemotherapy-induced apoptosis by enhancing caspase-3 activation. 1729 93

Defects in the apoptotic machinery may contribute to chemoresistance of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. We have previously showed a deficiency in mitochondria-dependent caspase-9 activation in NSCLC H460 cells after exposure to cisplatin, a drug widely used to treat NSCLC. Here we show that, unlike cisplatin, the novel anticancer agent bortezomib efficiently induces caspase-9 activation and apoptosis in H460 cells. A comparative analysis of molecular events underlying cell death in bortezomib-treated versus cisplatin-treated H460 cells revealed that bortezomib, but not cisplatin, caused a rapid and abundant release of cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO from mitochondria. This was associated with a marked increase in levels of the BH3-only proapoptotic protein Noxa and the antiapoptotic protein Mcl-1. Taken together, our data show that bortezomib, by promoting a proapoptotic shift in the levels of proteins involved in mitochondrial outer-membrane permeabilization, is a potent activator of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis in NSCLC cells. Our preclinical results support further investigation of bortezomib-based therapies as a possible new treatment modality for NSCLC.
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PMID:Bortezomib, but not cisplatin, induces mitochondria-dependent apoptosis accompanied by up-regulation of noxa in the non-small cell lung cancer cell line NCI-H460. 1736 97

Although resveratrol, an active ingredient derived from grapes and red wine, possesses chemopreventive properties against several cancers, the molecular mechanisms by which it inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis have not been clearly understood. Here, we examined the molecular mechanisms of resveratrol and its interactive effects with TRAIL on apoptosis in prostate cancer PC-3 and DU-145 cells. Resveratrol inhibited cell viability and colony formation, and induced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. Resveratrol downregulated the expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-X(L) and survivin and upregulated the expression of Bax, Bak, PUMA, Noxa, and Bim, and death receptors (TRAIL-R1/DR4 and TRAIL-R2/DR5). Treatment of prostate cancer cells with resveratrol resulted in generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), translocation of Bax to mitochondria and subsequent drop in mitochondrial membrane potential, release of mitochondrial proteins (cytochrome c, Smac/DIABLO, and AIF) to cytosol, activation of effector caspase-3 and caspase-9, and induction of apoptosis. Resveratrol-induced ROS production, caspase-3 activity and apoptosis were inhibited by N-acetylcysteine. Bax was a major proapoptotic gene mediating the effects of resveratrol as Bax siRNA inhibited resveratrol-induced apoptosis. Resveratrol enhanced the apoptosis-inducing potential of TRAIL, and these effects were inhibited by either dominant negative FADD or caspase-8 siRNA. The combination of resveratrol and TRAIL enhanced the mitochondrial dysfunctions during apoptosis. These properties of resveratrol strongly suggest that it could be used either alone or in combination with TRAIL for the prevention and/or treatment of prostate cancer.
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PMID:Molecular mechanisms of resveratrol (3,4,5-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) and its interaction with TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) in androgen-insensitive prostate cancer cells. 1763 62

The cephalostatins, bis-steroidal natural products from the marine tube worm Cephalodiscus gilchristi, were isolated by Dr. G. R. Pettit and his group. These compounds show a unique cytotoxicity profile in the in vitro screen of the National Cancer Institute, suggesting a novel mechanism of action. Indeed, cephalostatin 1 ( 1) is an extremely powerful agent that acts via an unusual apoptosis pathway. It induces selective Smac/DIABLO, but no cytochrome c release from mitochondria. Nevertheless, caspase-9 is required for apoptosis induction. Interestingly, caspase-9 is activated without the participation of the apoptosome, leading to the question of its mechanism of activation. We found that endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated caspase-4 contributes to nonclassical cephalostatin-mediated caspase-9 activation, additionally pointing out the unusual pathway used by this substance. Cephalostatin 1 ( 1), therefore, provides a very good tool to discover novel apoptotic pathways, which might be important in the understanding and treatment of chemo-resistant cancer.
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PMID:The cephalostatin way of apoptosis. 1825 32

Phytochemicals show promise as potential chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic agents against various cancers. Here we report the chemotherapeutic effects of berberine, a phytochemical, on human prostate cancer cells. The treatment of human prostate cancer cells (PC-3) with berberine induced dose-dependent apoptosis but this effect of berberine was not seen in non-neoplastic human prostate epithelial cells (PWR-1E). Berberine-induced apoptosis was associated with the disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential, release of apoptogenic molecules (cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO) from mitochondria and cleavage of caspase-9,-3 and PARP proteins. This effect of berberine on prostate cancer cells was initiated by the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) irrespective of their androgen responsiveness, and the generation of ROS was through the increased induction of xanthine oxidase. Treatment of cells with allopurinol, an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, inhibited berberine-induced oxidative stress in cancer cells. Berberine-induced apoptosis was blocked in the presence of antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine, through the prevention of disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential and subsequently release of cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO. In conclusion, the present study reveals that the berberine-mediated cell death of human prostate cancer cells is regulated by reactive oxygen species, and therefore suggests that berberine may be considered for further studies as a promising therapeutic candidate for prostate cancer.
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PMID:Berberine-induced apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells is initiated by reactive oxygen species generation. 1827 80

Apoptosis is characterized by morphological and biochemical alterations mediated by caspases. The Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins (IAP) comprises a family of proteins that regulate apoptosis by inhibiting caspases. IAP are controlled by different mechanisms including transcriptional regulation, ubiquitination and interaction with proapoptotic proteins such as Smac/DIABLO. Here, we evaluated the role of IAP and Smac/DIABLO in neuronal death. We used cultured rat cerebellar granule neurons (CGN) under conditions that induce apoptosis (staurosporine). We found the expression of cIAP-1, cIAP-2, XIAP and survivin, but not BRUCE in CGN under survival conditions. When CGN were treated with staurosporine we detected a decrease in cIAP-1 and cIAP-2, but not in XIAP and survivin levels. Under these conditions Smac/DIABLO was released from the mitochondria suggesting its involvement in staurosporine-induced death of CGN. However, the Smac N7 peptide, which interacts with caspase-9 binding site in XIAP, did not show any effect on CGC viability.
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PMID:Role of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins and Smac/DIABLO in staurosporine-induced cerebellar granule neurons death. 1833 51

Morusin is a pure compound isolated from root bark of Morusaustralis (Moraceae). In this study, we demonstrated that morusin significantly inhibited the growth and clonogenicity of human colorectal cancer HT-29 cells. Apoptosis induced by morusin was characterized by accumulation of cells at the sub-G(1) phase, fragmentation of DNA, and condensation of chromatin. Morusin also inhibited the phosphorylation of IKK-alpha, IKK-beta and IkappaB-alpha, increased expression of IkappaB-alpha, and suppressed nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB and its DNA binding activity. Dephosphorylation of NF-kappaB upstream regulators PI3K, Akt and PDK1 was also displayed. In addition, activation of caspase-8, change of mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome c and Smac/DIABLO, and activation of caspase-9 and -3 were observed at the early time point. Downregulation in the expression of Ku70 and XIAP was exhibited afterward. Caspase-8 or wide-ranging caspase inhibitor suppressed morusin-induced apoptosis. Therefore, the antitumor mechanism of morusin in HT-29 cells may be via activation of caspases and inhibition of NF-kappaB.
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PMID:Morusin induces apoptosis and suppresses NF-kappaB activity in human colorectal cancer HT-29 cells. 1848 77

Spongistatin 1 is a new experimental chemotherapeutic agent isolated from marine sponges. Here we show that spongistatin 1 potently induces cell death in patient primary acute leukemic cells with higher efficiency than 8/10 clinically used cytotoxic drugs and prevents long-term survival of leukemic cell lines. Spongistatin 1 triggers caspase-dependent apoptosis in Jurkat T cells by the release of cytochrome c, Smac/DIABLO and Omi/HtrA2. As caspase-9 acts as an initiator caspase and Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL overexpression suppress spongistatin 1-induced apoptosis, cell death is mediated through the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Importantly, spongistatin 1 leads to the degradation of the antiapoptotic X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein. In apoptosis-resistant leukemic tumor cells overexpressing XIAP, spongistatin 1 effectively causes cell death and potentiates cell death induction by other apoptosis-promoting factors that might be caused by spongistatin 1-mediated degradation of XIAP. Our data show that spongistatin 1 represents a promising novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of leukemic tumor cells especially in the clinically highly relevant situation of chemoresistance due to overexpression of XIAP.
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PMID:Spongistatin 1: a new chemosensitizing marine compound that degrades XIAP. 1854 2

A pair of isogenic colon carcinoma cells, SW480 and 620, was used to investigate the mechanisms of acquired tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-resistance during tumour progression. Whereas primary tumour SW480 cells are sensitive to TRAIL-induced apoptosis, metastatic SW620 cells are resistant. The apoptotic signalling activated by TRAIL in SW480 cells is a type II pathway. We show that in SW620 cells, although caspase-8 is recruited and activated at the death-inducing-signalling complex and Bid is cleaved, this does not lead to caspase-9 activation. Comparison of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 levels in both cell lines showed no difference. In SW620 cells transfected with a tBid-GFP construct, tBid-GFP was correctly localized to the mitochondria. Thus, the resistance of SW620 cells is at the level of the mitochondria that can withstand large amounts of tBid. Although caspase-3 was directly cleaved by caspase-8 in SW620 cells to yield the p20 fragment, no further autocatalytic maturation into the p17 fragment was observed. We show that, in contrast to SW480 cells, the SW620 cell line expresses high amounts of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP). Downregulation of XIAP with bortezomib or small-interfering RNA was sufficient to restore the sensitivity of SW620 cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis in the absence of SMAC/Diablo or cytochrome c release from the mitochondria. Thus, SW620 cells have developed a dual resistance to TRAIL-induced apoptosis: a block at the level of the mitochondria and, after a conversion to a type I pathway, an increased expression of XIAP which inhibits this pathway.
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PMID:A mitochondrial block and expression of XIAP lead to resistance to TRAIL-induced apoptosis during progression to metastasis of a colon carcinoma. 1856 Mar 53

X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) inhibits apoptosis mainly through inhibition of caspase-9 and executioner caspases of -3 and -7. The inhibition of the former protease is implemented through the bacculoviral inhibitory repeat-3 (Bir3) domain, while the inhibition of the latter is accomplished by the interaction of the linker region located between the Bir1 and the Bir2 domains with their active sites. Both modes of inhibition are antagonized by SMAC, which is released from mitochondria during the initiation of the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Although the mechanism of SMAC interference in Bir3 inhibition of caspase-9 is clearly established, the mechanism by which SMAC interferes with the inhibition of the executioner caspases by XIAP remains largely unknown. To address this issue, we performed a limited proteolysis of glutathione S-transferase (GST)-tagged XIAP-Bir2 by trypsin in the presence and in the absence of SMAC peptide. Under these conditions, the proteolysis of the linker region was diminished considerably. Furthermore, the rate of association of caspase-3 and -7 with XIAP in the presence of the SMAC peptide was reduced drastically, suggesting that SMAC peptide restricts the exposure of the linker region. A limited proteolysis of caspase-7 in the presence of GST-Bir2 and GST-NBir3 (the Bir3 domain of human NAIP) as negative controls was also performed. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight analysis of the fragments revealed the identity of protected sites, suggesting that the Bir2 domain makes numerous contacts with the large subunit of caspase-7. These, combined with the results from Far-Western experiments, strongly suggest that the groove for the inhibitor(s)-of-apoptosis-protein-binding motif on the Bir2 favors binding to the N-terminus of the large subunit rather than to the small subunit of caspase-7. Our results further show that the active-site pocket of caspase-7 is first occupied by the linker region, followed by the interaction of the N-terminus of the enzyme with the SMAC-binding site of the Bir2 domain.
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PMID:A mechanistic insight into SMAC peptide interference with XIAP-Bir2 inhibition of executioner caspases. 1861 10


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