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)

Bcr-Abl-expressing primary or cultured leukemia cells display high levels of the antiapoptotic heat shock protein (hsp) 70 and are resistant to cytarabine (Ara-C), etoposide, or Apo-2L/TRAIL (TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand)-induced apoptosis. Conversely, a stable expression of the cDNA of hsp70 in the reverse orientation attenuated not only hsp70 but also signal transducers and activators of transcription 5 (STAT5) and Bcl-x(L) levels. This increased apoptosis induced by cytarabine, etoposide, or Apo-2L/TRAIL. Ectopic expression of hsp70 in HL-60 cells (HL-60/hsp70) inhibited Ara-C and etoposide-induced Bax conformation change and translocation to the mitochondria; attenuated the accumulation of cytochrome c, Smac, and Omi/HtrA2 in the cytosol; and inhibited the processing and activity of caspase-9 and caspase-3. Hsp70 was bound to death receptors 4 and 5 (DR4 and DR5) and inhibited Apo-2L/TRAIL-induced assembly and activity of the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC). HL-60/hsp70 cells exhibited increased levels and DNA binding activity of STAT5, which was associated with high levels of Pim-2 and Bcl-x(L) and resistance to apoptosis. Expression of the dominant negative (DN) STAT5 resensitized HL-60/hsp70 cells to cytarabine, etoposide, and Apo-2L/TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Collectively, these findings suggest that hsp70 inhibits apoptosis upstream and downstream of the mitochondria and is a promising therapeutic target for reversing drug-resistance in chronic myeloid leukemia-blast crisis and acute myeloid leukemia cells.
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PMID:Mechanistic role of heat shock protein 70 in Bcr-Abl-mediated resistance to apoptosis in human acute leukemia cells. 1538 81

Taxol (paclitaxel) is known to inhibit cell growth and trigger significant apoptosis in various cancer cells. Although taxol induces apoptosis of cancer cells, its exact mechanism of action is not yet known. In this study we investigated death receptors, FAS-associated death domain protein (FADD), the activation of caspases-10 and -8 as well as the downstream caspases, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in taxol-induced apoptosis in the CCRF-HSB-2 human lymphoblastic leukemia cell line. Pretreating the cells with neutralizing antibodies to Fas, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha receptor 1, or TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptors (DR4 and DR5) did not affect taxol-induced apoptosis, but transfection of the cells with a dominant negative FADD plasmid resulted in inhibition of taxol-induced apoptosis, revealing that taxol induces apoptosis independently of these death receptors but dependently on FADD. Furthermore, the drug induced activation of caspases-10, -8, -6, and -3, cleaved Bcl-2, Bid, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and lamin B, and down-regulated cellular levels of FLICE-like inhibitory protein (FLIP) and X-chromosome-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP). However, despite the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria in taxol-treated cells, caspase-9 was not activated. Inhibitors of caspases-8, -6, or -3 partially inhibited taxol-induced apoptosis, whereas the caspase-10 inhibitor totally abrogated this process. Taxol-induced apoptosis was also associated with decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (Deltapsim) and a significant increase in ROS generation. However, increased ROS production was not directly involved in taxol-triggered apoptosis. Therefore, these results demonstrate for the first time that taxol induces FADD-dependent apoptosis primarily through activation of caspase-10 but independently of death receptors.
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PMID:Taxol induces caspase-10-dependent apoptosis. 1545 17

Sulindac is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that induces apoptosis in cultured colon cancer cells and in intestinal epithelia in association with its chemopreventive efficacy. Resistance to sulindac is well documented in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying such resistance remain unknown. We determined the effect of ectopic Bcl-2 expression upon sulindac-induced apoptotic signaling in SW480 human colon cancer cells. Sulindac sulfide activated both the caspase-8-dependent and mitochondrial apoptotic pathways. Ectopic Bcl-2 attenuated cytochrome c release and apoptosis induction compared with SW480/neo cells. Coadministration of sulindac sulfide and the small-molecule Bcl-2 inhibitor HA14-1 increased apoptosis induction and enhanced caspase-8 and caspase-9 cleavage, Bax redistribution, and cytochrome c and second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase release. Given that sulindac sulfide activated caspase-8 and increased membrane death receptor (DR4 and DR5) protein levels, we evaluated its combination with the endogenous death receptor ligand tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). Coadministration of sulindac sulfide and TRAIL cooperatively enhanced apoptotic signaling as effectively as did HA14-1. Together, these data indicate that HA14-1 or TRAIL can enhance sulindac sulfide-induced apoptosis and represent novel strategies for circumventing Bcl-2-mediated apoptosis resistance in human colon cancer cells.
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PMID:Sulindac sulfide-induced apoptosis is enhanced by a small-molecule Bcl-2 inhibitor and by TRAIL in human colon cancer cells overexpressing Bcl-2. 1622 96

In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the mechanism responsible for the interactive effects of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors [suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), MS-275, m-carboxycinnamic acid bishydroxamide (CBHA), and trichostatin-A (TSA)] and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) on apoptosis in leukemia cells. HDAC inhibitors enhance the apoptosis-inducing potential of TRAIL in leukemia cells (HL60, Jurkat, K562, and U937) through multiple mechanisms; up-regulation of DR4, DR5, Bak, Bax, Bim, Noxa and PUMA, down-regulation of IAPs, Mcl-1, Bcl-2, Bcl-XL and cFLIP, release of mitochondrial proteins (cytochrome c, Smac/DIABLO and Omi/Htr2) to the cytosol, induction of p21WAF1/CIP1 and p27KIP1, activation of caspase-3 and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). The sequential treatment of cells with HDAC inhibitors followed by TRAIL was more effective in inducing apoptosis than the concurrent treatment or single agent alone. The up-regulation of death receptors and inhibition of cFLIP by HDAC inhibitors will increase the ability of TRAIL to induce apoptosis, due to enhance activation of caspase-8, cleavage of Bid, and release of mitochondrial proteins to the cytosol, and subsequent activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. Thus, the combination of HDAC inhibitors and TRAIL can be used as a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of leukemia.
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PMID:Interactive effects of histone deacetylase inhibitors and TRAIL on apoptosis in human leukemia cells: involvement of both death receptor and mitochondrial pathways. 1627 96

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has been shown to induce apoptosis in prostate cancer cells through DR4 and DR5 death receptors, but not in normal prostate cells, which do not express these receptors. Therefore, TRAIL has excellent potential to be a selective prostate cancer therapeutic agent with minimal toxic side effects. However, prostate cancer cells, as many other cancer types, develop resistance to TRAIL, and the underlying molecular mechanisms require further investigation. We hypothesize that selenium may sensitize TRAIL-resistant cells to undergo caspase-mediated apoptosis and increase therapeutic efficacy. Here, we report that TRAIL signaling in LNCaP prostate cancer cells stalled at downstream of caspase-8 and BID cleavage, as indicated by the lack of Bax translocation into mitochondria, and no subsequent activation of the caspase-9 cascade. Selenite induced a rapid generation of superoxide and p53 Ser(15) phosphorylation and increased Bax abundance and translocation into the mitochondria. Selenite and TRAIL combined treatment led to synergistic increases of Bax abundance and translocation into mitochondria, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cytochrome c release, and cleavage activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. Inactivating p53 with a dominant-negative mutant abolished apoptosis without affecting superoxide generation, whereas a superoxide dismutase mimetic agent blocked p53 activation, Bax translocation to mitochondria, cytochrome c release, and apoptosis induced by selenite/TRAIL. In support of Bax as a crucial target for cross-talk between selenite and TRAIL pathways, introduction of Bax into p53 mutant DU145 cells enabled selenite to sensitize these cells for TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Taken together, the results indicate that selenite induces a rapid superoxide burst and p53 activation, leading to Bax up-regulation and translocation into mitochondria, which restores the cross-talk with stalled TRAIL signaling for a synergistic caspase-9/3 cascade-mediated apoptosis execution.
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PMID:Inorganic selenium sensitizes prostate cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis through superoxide/p53/Bax-mediated activation of mitochondrial pathway. 1689 74

Although expressing adequate levels of functional tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptors DR4/DR5, significant proportion of cancer cells exhibit resistance to the cytotoxic effect of this ligand. Exposure of Apo2L/TRAIL-refractory cancer cells to cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents enhances their sensitivity to Apo2L/TRAIL cytotoxicity. This study aims to elucidate the molecular mechanism responsible for the cisplatin-mediated enhancement of Apo2L/TRAIL sensitivity in cultured esophageal cancer cells. Exposure of cancer cells to sublethal concentrations of cisplatin resulted in profound potentiation of their susceptibility to Apo2L/TRAIL cytotoxicity as indicated by 2- to >20-fold reduction in Apo2L/TRAIL IC50 values. Significant activation of caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-3 was observed only in cells treated with cisplatin/Apo2L/TRAIL combination and not in those exposed to either agent alone. More importantly, activation of these key caspases was significantly abrogated by overexpression of Bcl2 or by the selective caspase-9 inhibitor. This observation strongly suggested that caspase-8 activation in cells treated with the cisplatin/Apo2L/TRAIL combination was secondary to the mitochondria-mediated amplification feedback loop and activation of the executioner caspase-3 was dependent on the recruitment of the intrinsic pathway characteristic of the type II cell. Profound combination-mediated cytotoxicity and induction of apoptosis was completely suppressed either by Bcl2 overexpression or by inhibition of caspase-9 activity, which conclusively pointed to the essential role of the mitochondria-dependent death signaling cascade in this process. Cisplatin sensitizes esophageal cancer cells to Apo2L/TRAIL cytotoxicity by potentiation of the mitochondria-dependent death signaling pathway that leads to amplification of caspase activation, particularly caspase-8, by the feedback loop to efficiently induce apoptosis.
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PMID:Enhancement of Apo2L/TRAIL-mediated cytotoxicity in esophageal cancer cells by cisplatin. 1717 3

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

Interactions between the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) were examined in malignant hematopoietic cells. Pretreatment (24 h) of U937 leukemia cells with 7.5 micromol/L sorafenib dramatically increased apoptosis induced by sublethal concentrations of TRAIL/Apo2L (75 ng/mL). Similar interactions were observed in Raji, Jurkat, Karpas, K562, U266 cells, primary acute myelogenous leukemia blasts, but not in normal CD34+ bone marrow cells. Sorafenib/TRAIL-induced cell death was accompanied by mitochondrial injury and release of cytochrome c, Smac, and AIF into the cytosol and caspase-9, caspase-3, caspase-7, and caspase-8 activation. Sorafenib pretreatment down-regulated Bcl-xL and abrogated Mcl-1 expression, whereas addition of TRAIL sharply increased Bid activation, conformational change of Bak (ccBak) and Bax (ccBax), and Bax translocation. Ectopic Mcl-1 expression significantly attenuated sorafenib/TRAIL-mediated lethality and dramatically reduced ccBak while minimally affecting levels of ccBax. Similarly, inhibition of the receptor-mediated apoptotic cascade with a caspase-8 dominant-negative mutant significantly blocked sorafenib/TRAIL-induced lethality but not Mcl-1 down-regulation or Bak/Bax conformational change, indicating that TRAIL-mediated receptor pathway activation is required for maximal lethality. Sorafenib/TRAIL did not increase expression of DR4/DR5, or recruitment of procaspase-8 or FADD to the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC), but strikingly increased DISC-associated procaspase-8 activation. Sorafenib also down-regulated cFLIP(L), most likely through a translational mechanism, in association with diminished eIF4E phosphorylation, whereas ectopic expression of cFLIP(L) significantly reduced sorafenib/TRAIL lethality. Together, these results suggest that in human leukemia cells, sorafenib potentiates TRAIL-induced lethality by down-regulating Mcl-1 and cFLIP(L), events that cooperate to engage the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic cascades, culminating in pronounced mitochondrial injury and apoptosis.
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PMID:The multikinase inhibitor sorafenib potentiates TRAIL lethality in human leukemia cells in association with Mcl-1 and cFLIPL down-regulation. 2954 19

An essential oil from a lemon grass variety of Cymbopogon flexuosus (CFO) and its major chemical constituent sesquiterpene isointermedeol (ISO) were investigated for their ability to induce apoptosis in human leukaemia HL-60 cells because dysregulation of apoptosis is the hallmark of cancer cells. CFO and ISO inhibited cell proliferation with 48 h IC50 of approximately 30 and 20 microg/ml, respectively. Both induced concentration dependent strong and early apoptosis as measured by various end-points, e.g. annexinV binding, DNA laddering, apoptotic bodies formation and an increase in hypo diploid sub-G0 DNA content during the early 6h period of study. This could be because of early surge in ROS formation with concurrent loss of mitochondrial membrane potential observed. Both CFO and ISO activated apical death receptors TNFR1, DR4 and caspase-8 activity. Simultaneously, both increased the expression of mitochondrial cytochrome c protein with its concomitant release to cytosol leading to caspase-9 activation, suggesting thereby the involvement of both the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis. Further, Bax translocation, and decrease in nuclear NF-kappaB expression predict multi-target effects of the essential oil and ISO while both appeared to follow similar signaling apoptosis pathways. The easy and abundant availability of the oil combined with its suggested mechanism of cytotoxicity make CFO highly useful in the development of anti-cancer therapeutics.
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PMID:An essential oil and its major constituent isointermedeol induce apoptosis by increased expression of mitochondrial cytochrome c and apical death receptors in human leukaemia HL-60 cells. 1807 Jun 20

As human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells metastasize to distant sites, they are susceptible to detachment-induced cell death or anoikis - a form of apoptosis that occurs when anchorage-dependent CRC cells go into suspension. Our goal was to identify whether tumor necrosis factor receptor apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptors mediate anoikis in human CRC cells. First, we assessed whether caspases of the extrinsic (caspase-8) or intrinsic (caspase-9) death pathways were involved. Caspase-8 was cleaved during exposure to suspension culture in four CRC lines, and cell death was inhibited by caspase-3 and caspase-8 inhibitors but not by a caspase-9 inhibitor. Gene transcripts in macrophage inflammatory protein-101 (MIP-110), a weakly metastatic human CRC, were increased at least 2-fold for TRAIL-R2 (DR5) and TRAIL after 24 h of suspension culture compared with cells in monolayer culture. The increased expression of DR5 was confirmed at the protein level at 24 h, and exposure of MIP-101 cells to an antagonistic antibody to DR5 decreased caspase-8 activation. The antagonistic antibody to DR5 inhibited anoikis in four human CRC lines. Treatment with an antagonistic DR4 antibody or a neutralizing antibody to TRAIL ligand did not reduce anoikis consistently. Knockdown of DR5 or TRAIL also inhibited anoikis, whereas exogenous TRAIL or FasL did not consistently increase anoikis. In summary, DR5 receptor mediates death signals for anoikis in human CRC cells through the extrinsic apoptotic pathway.
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PMID:DR5 receptor mediates anoikis in human colorectal carcinoma cell lines. 1824 94


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