Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound   Target Concepts: Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound

---

Query: EC:3.4.22.62 (caspase-9)
7,507 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The majority of human neoplasms have aberrations in the retinoblastoma pathway due to hyperactivation of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK). Based on this observation, novel small molecules, such as flavopiridol and UCN-01, are being developed and are currently being tested in the clinic. Efforts to develop CDK modulators led us to the discovery of a novel class of CDK inhibitors, the paullones [Cancer Res 1999;59:2566]. Initial studies demonstrated that paullones inhibit CDKs in vitro, thereby blocking cell-cycle progression. However, the exact mechanism for the antiproliferative effects of paullones was never explored. In this report, we demonstrate for the first time that the most potent paullone, alsterpaullone (Alp), induced apoptosis and promoted loss in clonogenicity in the Jurkat cell line. Alp caused early activation of both caspase-8 and -9, leading to cleavage of caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Moreover, apoptosis by Alp was not associated with loss in anti-apoptotic proteins such as XIAP or BCL-XL. Pre-incubation with cell-permeable inhibitors z-Asp(OMe)-Glu(OMe)-Val-Asp(Ome)-fluoromethylketone and benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp (OMe)-fluoromethylketone (ZVAD) blocked Alp-induced apoptosis. Moreover, the general caspase inhibitor ZVAD blocked the cleavage and activation of most caspases tested except caspase-9. Studies of mitochondrial membrane potential also demonstrated that Alp is able to disrupt mitochondrial potential in the presence of ZVAD, suggesting that the activation of caspase-9 by Alp follows mitochondrial perturbation. Pre-incubation of Jurkat cells with ZVAD did not prevent the depletion of cyclin D3, loss of CDK, or cell-cycle arrest by Alp. In summary, these experiments suggest that Alp activates caspase-9 via mitochondrial perturbation. Active caspase-9 cleaves and activates caspase-8 and caspase-3, leading to apoptosis. In the presence of the general caspase inhibitor ZVAD, the cell-cycle effects of Alp are unaltered while apoptosis is blocked, suggesting that the CDK effects of Alp are not sufficient for Alp-induced apoptosis. Additional studies with paullones are warranted to further characterize their preclinical effects and to explore their potential use in the clinical setting.
...
PMID:Alsterpaullone, a novel cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, induces apoptosis by activation of caspase-9 due to perturbation in mitochondrial membrane potential. 1266 10

The sphingomyelin metabolites ceramide and sphingosine are mediators of cell death induced by gamma-irradiation. We studied the production of ceramide and the effects of exogenous ceramide on apoptosis in LNCaP prostate cancer cells that are highly resistant to gamma-irradiation-induced cell death. LNCaP cells can be sensitized to gamma-irradiation by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and, to a lesser degree, by the agonistic FAS antibody CH-11. TNF-alpha activated intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways and increased ceramide and sphingosine levels in irradiated LNCaP cells. CH-11 activated only the extrinsic apoptosis pathways and had a negligible effect on ceramide and sphingosine levels in irradiated LNCaP cells. Exogenous ceramide and bacterial sphingomyelinase sensitized LNCaP cells to radiation-induced apoptosis and had a synergistic effect on cell death after irradiation with TNF-alpha, but not with CH-11. Cell death effects after exposure to ceramide and irradiation were blocked by the serine protease inhibitor TLCK (Na-p-tosyl-L-lysine-chloromethylketone), but not by the caspase inhibitor z-VAD (2-val-Ala-Asp(oMe)-CH(2)F). During LNCaP cell apoptosis induced by exogenous ceramide, we observed activation of caspase-9, but not caspases-8, -3, or -7. The effect of ceramide occurred largely via the intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis pathway and enhanced TNF-alpha, but not CH-11 effects on irradiated cells. The data show that ceramide enhanced activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway and enhanced cell death induced by TNF-alpha with or without gamma-irradiation. TNF-alpha and gamma-irradiation elevated levels of endogenous ceramide and activated the intrinsic cell death pathway.
...
PMID:Role of ceramide in mediating apoptosis of irradiated LNCaP prostate cancer cells. 1270 Jun 52

The lack of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21WAF1/CIP1 (p21) in mice increases renal proximal tubular cell death and enhances sensitivity to acute renal failure produced by the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin. We used primary cultures of mouse renal proximal tubular cells (MPTC) grown in optimized culture conditions to investigate the cellular basis for increased apoptosis in p21 knockout mice. Cisplatin (15 microM) activated caspase-3 but not caspase-8 or caspase-9 and produced phosphatidylserine externalization, chromatin condensation, and nuclear fragmentation in wild-type [p21(+/+)] MPTC. Caspase-3 activation and apoptosis were accelerated in cisplatin-treated MPTC lacking p21 [p21(-/-) MPTC]. In contrast to p21(+/+) MPTC, cisplatin activated caspase-9 but not caspase-8 in p21(-/-) MPTC before caspase-3 activation. The caspase-3 inhibitor Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-fluoromethylketone (DEVD-fmk) inhibited caspase-3 activity but did not abolish apoptosis in p21(+/+) and p21(-/-) MPTC. General caspase inhibitor Z-Val-Ala-Asp(OCH3)-fluoromethylketone (ZVAD-fmk) inhibited caspase activity and decreased chromatin condensation by 51% in p21(-/-) but not in p21(+/+) MPTC. However, cisplatin-induced phosphatidylserine externalization was not inhibited by ZVAD-fmk in p21(-/-) MPTC. We conclude that 1) in the presence of p21, cisplatin activates caspase-3 through a mechanism independent of caspase-8 or caspase-9; 2) in the absence of p21, caspase-9 activation precedes caspase-3 activation; 3) the lack of p21 accelerates caspase-3 activation and cisplatin-induced MPTC apoptosis; and 4) MPTC apoptosis is caspase independent in the presence of p21 but partially dependent on caspases in the absence of p21.
...
PMID:Lack of a functional p21WAF1/CIP1 gene accelerates caspase-independent apoptosis induced by cisplatin in renal cells. 1274 56

Both the anticancer agent 2-chloro-2'-deoxy-adenosine (Cladribine) and its derivative 2-chloro-adenosine induce apoptosis of human astrocytoma cells (J Neurosci Res 60:388-400, 2000). In this study, we have analyzed the involvement of caspases in these effects. Both compounds produced a gradual and time-dependent activation of "effector" caspase-3, which preceded the appearance of the nuclear signs of apoptosis, suggesting a temporal correlation between these two events. Moreover, the caspase inhibitor N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-dl-Asp-fluoromethylketone (fmk) suppressed both caspase-3 activation and apoptosis induction. "Initiator" caspase-9 and caspase-8 were only marginally activated at later times in the apoptotic process. Accordingly, at concentrations that selectively inhibit these caspases, neither N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Leu-Glu-His-Asp-fmk nor N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Ile-Glu-Thr-Asp-fmk could prevent adenosine analog-induced cell death. To definitively rule out a role for the caspase-9/cytochrome c-dependent mitochondrial pathway of cell death, neither adenosine analog had any effect on mitochondrial membrane potential, which was instead markedly reduced by other apoptotic stimuli (e.g., deoxyribose, NaCN, and betulinic acid). Consistently, although the latter triggered translocation of mitochondrial cytochrome c to the cytoplasm, no cytosolic accumulation of cytochrome c was detected with adenosine analogs. Conversely, 1 to 7 h after addition of either adenosine analog (i.e., before the appearance of caspase-3 activation), caspase-2 activity was surprisingly and markedly increased. The selective caspase-2 inhibitor N-benzyloxy carbonyl-Val-Asp-Val-Ala-Asp-fmk significantly reduced both adenosine analogs-induced caspase-2 activation and the associated cell death. We conclude that adenosine analogs induce the apoptosis of human astrocytoma cells by activating an atypical apoptotic cascade involving caspase-2 as an initiator caspase, and effector caspase-3. Therefore, these compounds could be effectively used in the pharmacological manipulation of tumors characterized by resistance to cell death via either the mitochondrial or caspase-8/death receptor pathways.
...
PMID:A key role for caspase-2 and caspase-3 in the apoptosis induced by 2-chloro-2'-deoxy-adenosine (cladribine) and 2-chloro-adenosine in human astrocytoma cells. 1276 55

Bax is cleaved by calpain at aspartate 33 (Asp33) to yield p18 Bax during stress-induced apoptosis. To assess the role of p18 Bax in apoptosis, an ecdysone-inducible expression system was generated. Similar levels of wild-type (WT) and noncleavable Asp33Ala (Asp-->Ala) Bax are induced in 293 cells while expression of N-terminal-deleted p18 (Delta1-33) Bax remains low (20% of full-length p21 Bax) due to a reduced half-life (2 hours versus 12 hours for p21 Bax) resulting from increased sensitivity to cathepsin-like proteolytic degradation. Expression of p18 Bax is enhanced to levels comparable to p21 Bax when induction is carried out in the presence of cathepsin inhibitors, Z-Phe-Gly-NHO-Bz or N-Acetyl-Leu-Leu-Met-CHO. Compared with WT Bax, expression of similar levels of p18 Bax and, surprisingly, Asp33Ala Bax more potently induces apoptosis as indicated by increased cytochrome c release, caspase-9/-3 activation, and DNA fragmentation, potentially due to their increased homo-oligomerization in mitochondrial membranes. Studies in A-549, U-937, K-562, and HL-60 cells confirm that inhibition of Bax cleavage results in 25% to 35% reduction of drug-induced apoptosis, while inhibition of p18 Bax degradation enhances apoptosis by 25% to 40%. Results indicate that although cleavage to p18 Bax is not required for Bax to initiate apoptosis, p18 Bax potently accelerates the apoptotic process.
...
PMID:Cleavage of Bax to p18 Bax accelerates stress-induced apoptosis, and a cathepsin-like protease may rapidly degrade p18 Bax. 1281 67

We previously reported that dieldrin, one of the potential environmental risk factors for development of Parkinson's disease, induces apoptosis in dopaminergic cells by generating oxidative stress. Here, we demonstrate that the caspase-3-dependent proteolytic activation of protein kinase Cdelta (PKCdelta) mediates as well as regulates the dieldrin-induced apoptotic cascade in dopaminergic cells. Exposure of PC12 cells to dieldrin (100-300 microM) results in the rapid release of cytochrome C, followed by the activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The superoxide dismutase mimetic Mn(III)tetrakis(4-benzoic acid)porphyrin chloride significantly attenuates dieldrin-induced cytochrome C release, indicating that reactive oxygen species may contribute to the activation of pro-apoptotic factors. Interestingly, dieldrin proteolytically cleaves native PKCdelta into a 41 kDa catalytic subunit and a 38 kDa regulatory subunit to activate the kinase. The dieldrin-induced proteolytic cleavage of PKCdelta and induction of kinase activity are completely inhibited by pretreatment with 50-100 microM concentrations of the caspase inhibitors benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone (Z-VAD-FMK) and benzyloxycarbonyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-fluoromethylketone (Z-DEVD-FMK), indicating that the proteolytic activation of PKCdelta is caspase-3-dependent. Additionally, Z-VAD-FMK, Z-DEVD-FMK or the PKCdelta specific inhibitor rottlerin almost completely block dieldrin-induced DNA fragmentation. Because dieldrin dramatically increases (40-80-fold) caspase-3 activity, we examined whether proteolytically activated PKCdelta amplifies caspase-3 via positive feedback activation. The PKCdelta inhibitor rottlerin (3-20 microM) dose-dependently attenuates dieldrin-induced caspase-3 activity, suggesting positive feedback activation of caspase-3 by PKCdelta. Indeed, delivery of catalytically active recombinant PKCdelta via a protein delivery system significantly activates caspase-3 in PC12 cells. Finally, overexpression of the kinase-inactive PKCdelta(K376R) mutant in rat mesencephalic dopaminergic neuronal cells attenuates dieldrin-induced caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation, further confirming the pro-apoptotic function of PKCdelta in dopaminergic cells. Together, we conclude that caspase-3-dependent proteolytic activation of PKCdelta is a critical event in dieldrin-induced apoptotic cell death in dopaminergic cells.
...
PMID:Dieldrin induces apoptosis by promoting caspase-3-dependent proteolytic cleavage of protein kinase Cdelta in dopaminergic cells: relevance to oxidative stress and dopaminergic degeneration. 1283 55

Styryl-lactones such as goniothalamin represent a new class of compounds with potential anti-cancer properties. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of goniothalamin (GTN), a plant styryl-lactone induced apoptosis in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. This plant extract resulted in apoptosis in HL-60 cells as assessed by the externalisation of phosphatidylserine. Using the mitochondrial membrane dye (DIOC(6)) in conjunction with flow cytometry, we found that GTN treated HL-60 cells demonstrated a loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Deltapsi(m)). Further immunoblotting on these cells showed activation of initiator caspase-9 and the executioner caspases-3 and -7. Pretreatment with the pharmacological caspase inhibitor, benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp fluoromethyl ketone (Z-VAD.FMK) abrogated apoptosis as assessed by all of the apoptotic features in this study. In summary, our results demonstrate that goniothalamin-induced apoptosis occurs via the mitochondrial pathway in a caspase dependent manner.
...
PMID:Loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential and caspase-9 activation during apoptosis induced by the novel styryl-lactone goniothalamin in HL-60 leukemia cells. 1284 26

Magnolol, an active component extracted from Magnolia officinalis, has various pharmacological effects, including potent antioxidant activity. In the present study, we investigated the effect of magnolol on apoptosis in rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), using terminal-deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labelling (TUNEL) and flow cytometric analysis. Magnolol (5-20 micro M) concentration-dependently induced significant VSMC apoptosis, this effect being blocked by the caspase inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone (z-VAD-fmk, 50 micro M). To study the molecular mechanism, the mitochondrial death pathway was examined. Magnolol increased caspase-3 and caspase-9 activities significantly and reduced the mitochondrial potential (Deltapsi(m)). The levels of B-cell leukaemia/lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), but not those of Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) or Bcl-x(L), were down-regulated concentration dependently by magnolol. In an animal model, balloon angioplasty-induced neointima formation was inhibited significantly by magnolol and Bcl-2 protein levels were reduced. Taken together, these results show that magnolol induces apoptosis in VSMCs via the mitochondrial death pathway. This effect is mediated through down-regulation of Bcl-2 protein levels, both in vivo and in vitro. Magnolol thus shows potential as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of atherosclerosis and re-stenosis.
...
PMID:Magnolol induces apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle. 1289 28

20-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-20(S)-protopanaxadiol (IH901), an intestinal bacterial metabolite of ginseng saponin formed from ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, and Rc, is suggested to be a potential chemopreventive agent. Here, we show that IH901 induces apoptosis in human hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells. IH901 led to an early activation of procaspase-3 (12 h posttreatment), and the activation of caspase-8 became evident only later (18 h posttreatment). Caspase activation was a necessary requirement for apoptosis because caspase inhibitors significantly inhibited cell death by IH901. Treatment of HepG2 cells with IH901 also induced the cleavage of cytosolic factors such as Bid and Bax and translocation of truncated Bid (tBid) to mitochondria. A time-dependent release of cytochrome c from mitochondria was observed, which was accompanied by activation of caspase-9. A broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone (zVAD-fmk), and a specific inhibitor for caspase-8, N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Ile-Glu-Thr-Asp-fluoromethylketone (zIETD-fmk), abrogated Bid processing and translocation, and caspase-3 activation. Cytochrome c release was inhibited by zVAD-fmk, however, the inhibition by zIETD-fmk was not complete. The activation of caspase-8 was inhibited not only by zIETD-fmk but also by zVAD-fmk. The results, together with the kinetic change of caspase activation, indicate that activation of caspase-8 occurred downstream of caspase-3 and -9. Our data suggest that the activation of caspase-8 after early caspase-3 activation might act as an amplification loop necessary for successful apoptosis. Primary hepatocytes isolated from normal Sprague-Dawley rats were not affected by IH901 (0-60 microM). The very low toxicity in normal hepatocytes and high activity in hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells suggest that IH901 is a promising experimental cancer chemopreventive agent.
...
PMID:A ginseng saponin metabolite-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells involves a mitochondria-mediated pathway and its downstream caspase-8 activation and Bid cleavage. 1476 78

We recently demonstrated that reperfusion rapidly induces the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis in chick cardiomyocytes after 1 h of simulated ischemia. Here we tested whether ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced apoptosis could be initiated by caspase-dependent cytochrome c release in this model of cardiomyocyte injury. Fluorometric assays of caspase activity showed little, if any, activation of caspases above baseline levels induced by 1 h of ischemia alone. However, these assays revealed rapid activation of caspase-2, yielding a 2.95 +/- 0.52-fold increase (over ischemia only) within the 1st h of reperfusion, whereas activities of caspases-3, -8, and -9 increased only slightly from their baseline levels. The rapid and prominent activation of caspase-2 suggested that it could be an important initiator caspase in this model, and using specific caspase inhibitors given only at the point of reperfusion, we tested this hypothesis. The caspase-2 inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Asp(Ome)-Val-Ala-Asp(Ome)-CH(2)F was the only caspase inhibitor that significantly inhibited cytochrome c release from mitochondria. This inhibitor also completely blocked activation of caspases-3, -8, and -9. The caspase-3/7 inhibitor transiently and only partially blocked caspase-2 activity and was less effective in blocking the activities of caspases-8 and -9. The caspase-8 inhibitor failed to significantly block caspase-2 or -3, and the caspase-9 inhibitor blocked only caspase-9. Furthermore, the caspase-2 inhibitor protected against I/R-induced cell death, but the caspase-8 inhibitor failed to do so. These data suggest that active caspase-2 initiates cytochrome c release after reperfusion and that it is critical for the I/R-induced apoptosis in this model.
...
PMID:Caspase-dependent cytochrome c release and cell death in chick cardiomyocytes after simulated ischemia-reperfusion. 1497 33


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>

---