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)

Apoptosis is an evolutionarily conserved process that is critical for tissue homeostasis and development including sex determination in essentially all multicellular organisms. Here, we report the cloning of an ankyrin repeat-containing protein, termed F1Aalpha, in a yeast two-hybrid screen using the cytoplasmic domain of Fas (CD95/APO-1) as bait. Amino acid sequence analysis indicates that F1Aalpha has extensive homology to the sex-determining protein FEM-1 of the Caenorhabditis elegans, which is required for the development of all aspects of the male phenotype. F1Aalpha associates with the cytoplasmic domains of Fas and tumor necrosis factor receptor 1, two prototype members of the "death receptor" family. The F1Aalpha protein also oligomerizes. Overexpression of F1Aalpha induces apoptosis in mammalian cells, and co-expression of Bcl-XL or the dominant negative mutants of either FADD or caspase-9 blocks this effect. Deletion analysis revealed the center region of F1Aalpha, including a cluster of five ankyrin repeats to be necessary and sufficient for maximum apoptotic activity, and the N-terminal region appears to regulate negatively this activity. Furthermore, F1Aalpha is cleaved by a caspase-3-like protease at Asp(342), and the cleavage-resistant mutant is unable to induce apoptosis upon overexpression. F1Aalpha is therefore a member of a growing family of death receptor-associated proteins that mediates apoptosis.
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PMID:F1Aalpha, a death receptor-binding protein homologous to the Caenorhabditis elegans sex-determining protein, FEM-1, is a caspase substrate that mediates apoptosis. 1054 91

Dimethylammonium salt of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (DMA-2,4-D) is a widely used herbicide that is considered moderately toxic. In the present study we found that DMA-2,4-D is able to cause apoptosis in peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy individuals and Jurkat T cells. Apoptosis induced by DMA-2,4-D was dose and time dependent, independent of Fas, TNF receptor 1 or the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor, and involved disruption of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential and activation of caspase-9. ZVAD-FMK, a broad-spectrum inhibitor of caspases, blocked DMA-2,4-D-induced apoptosis completely. While an inhibitor of caspase-9, as well as caspase-9 and caspase-3 inhibitors in combination, strongly blocked DMA-2,4-D-induced apoptosis, an inhibitor of caspase-3 had a moderate inhibitory effect. Unlike Fas-mediated apoptosis, the initiator caspase, caspase-8, was not involved in DMA-2,4-D-induced apoptosis. Transfection of Jurkat cells with Bcl-2 prevented DMA-2,4-D-induced disruption of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential and led to a complete blockage of apoptosis. Our data indicate that DMA-2,4-D kills human lymphocytes by initiating apoptosis via a direct effect on mitochondria. The activation of caspases occurs downstream of mitochondrial damage, and the dysfunction of mitochondria appears to be sufficient for triggering all downstream events leading to apoptosis.
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PMID:Induction of apoptosis in human lymphocytes by the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. 1116 16

Caspase-8 is a member of the cysteine proteases, which are implicated in apoptosis and cytokine processing. Like all caspases, caspase-8 is synthesized as an inactive single polypeptide chain zymogen procaspase and is activated by proteolytic cleavage, through either autoactivation after recruitment into a multimeric complex or trans-cleavage by other caspases. Thus, ligand binding-induced trimerization of death receptors results in recruitment of the receptor-specific adapter protein Fas-associated death domain (FADD), which then recruits caspase-8. Activated caspase-8 is known to propagate the apoptotic signal either by directly cleaving and activating downstream caspases or by cleaving the BH3 Bcl2-interacting protein, which leads to the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, triggering activation of caspase-9 in a complex with dATP and Apaf-1. Activated caspase-9 then activates further "downstream caspases," including caspase-8. Knockout data indicate that caspase-8 is required for killing induced by the death receptors Fas, tumor necrosis factor receptor 1, and death receptor 3. Moreover, caspase-8-/- mice die in utero as a result of defective development of heart muscle and display fewer hematopoietic progenitor cells, suggesting that the FADD/caspase-8 pathway is absolutely required for growth and development of specific cell types.
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PMID:Caspase-8 in apoptosis: the beginning of "the end"? 1118 63

We previously reported that the anti-epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor monoclonal antibody (mAb) 225 induces DiFi colon cancer cells to undergo apoptosis, and this apoptosis was accompanied by activation of the two apoptosis initiation caspases, caspase-8 and caspase-9. In the current study, we found that pretreatment of DiFi cells with the caspase-8-specific inhibitor z-IETD-fmk but not pretreatment with the caspase-9-specific inhibitor z-LEHD-fmk inhibited mAb 225-induced apoptosis, indicating that caspase-8 plays an essential role in initiating mAb 225-induced apoptosis. Because caspase-8 is activated primarily by the members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family, such as Fas, TNF receptor-1 (TNFR1), or receptors for TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), we investigated whether mAb 225 activated caspase-8 by regulating one or more of these known pathways. Exposure of DiFi cells to TNFalpha or TRAIL activated caspase-8 and induced apoptosis in the cells. A TNFR1-antagonistic mAb or a TRAIL decoy receptor inhibited the activation of caspase-8 and the subsequent apoptosis induced by TNFalpha or TRAIL, respectively, in the cells. However, neither the TNFR1-antagonistic mAb nor the TRAIL decoy receptor inhibited mAb 225-induced activation of caspase-8 and apoptosis in DiFi cells. DiFi cells express detectable level of Fas but are not sensitive to the treatment by the Fas-agonistic mAb CH-11. A Fas-antagonistic mAb (ZB-4) inhibited the Fas-agonistic mAb CH-11-induced caspase-8 activation and apoptosis in Jurkat T-leukemic cells (used as positive control), but had no effect on mAb 225-induced activation of caspase-8 and apoptosis in DiFi cells. Taken together, our results suggest that mAb 225 does not interact with or regulate these known death receptor pathways. An exploration is therefore warranted for a novel mechanism by which mAb 225 activates caspase-8 and triggers apoptosis in DiFi cells.
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PMID:The monoclonal antibody 225 activates caspase-8 and induces apoptosis through a tumor necrosis factor receptor family-independent pathway. 1143 35

Saethre-Chotzen syndrome (SCS) is a human autosomal dominant disorder characterized by premature fusion of cranial sutures caused by mutations of the Twist gene encoding a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor. We previously showed that Twist haploinsufficiency caused by a Y103X nonsense mutation in SCS alters both proliferation and osteoblast gene expression in human calvarial osteoblasts, indicating that Twist is an important regulator of osteoblast differentiation. Here we show that Twist haploinsufficiency alters osteoblast apoptosis in SCS. Analysis of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick-end labelling (TUNEL) demonstrated increased osteoblast and osteocyte apoptosis in coronal sutures from two SCS patients with nonsense mutations (Y103X and Q109X) that result in the synthesis of bHLH-truncated proteins, and one patient with a missense mutation in the basic domain (R118C) that abolishes Twist DNA binding. To assess the mechanisms involved, we studied osteoblast apoptosis in mutant (M-Tw) calvarial cells bearing the Y103X mutation resulting in decreased Twist mRNA and protein levels. M-Tw cells cultured in low serum conditions showed enhanced DNA fragmentation compared to normal (Nl) age-matched calvarial cells. Biochemical analysis showed increased activity of initiator caspases-2 and -8 and downstream effector caspases-3, -6 and -7 in mutant osteoblasts. Caspase-2 was upstream of caspase-8 and effector caspases-3, -6 and -7 because their activities were suppressed by a specific caspase-2 inhibitor. M-Tw osteoblasts also showed increased cytochrome c release from the mitochondria. However, the activity of the downstream effector caspase-9 was not increased due to overexpression of the antagonist protein Hsp70. Detection of differentially expressed genes using cDNA expression array revealed increased Bax and TNFalpha mRNA levels in M-Tw compared to Nl cells, a finding confirmed by RT-PCR and western blot analyses. Neutralization of TNFalpha overexpression using anti-TNFalpha or anti-TNF receptor 1 antibodies abolished the increased activity of caspase-2, caspase-8 and caspases-3, -6 and -7 in M-Tw osteoblasts. These studies provide novel evidence that Twist haploinsufficiency in SCS promotes osteoblast apoptosis by a TNFalpha-caspase-2-caspase-8-caspases-3, -6, -7 cascade, and uncover a molecular mechanism in which Twist plays an anti-apoptotic role in human calvarial osteoblasts.
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PMID:Twist haploinsufficiency in Saethre-Chotzen syndrome induces calvarial osteoblast apoptosis due to increased TNFalpha expression and caspase-2 activation. 1185 68

Signal transduction induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family members and their receptors has been an intensive area of research for several years. The major impact of these studies has been the delineation of apoptotic and cell survival signaling pathways. These discoveries, coupled with major advances in the study of mammalian apoptotic machinery, constitute a promising blueprint of the molecular network governing the fate of all living cells. In this review, we concentrate on the fate of cells in the immune system, where regulation of cell death and cell survival is a frequent and important exercise. A small imbalance in favor of either fate can result in disastrous pathological outcomes, such as cancer, autoimmunity or immune deficiency. It is an insurmountable task to discuss all molecules reported in the literature that are implicated in lymphocyte death or survival. We have therefore focused on discoveries made by mouse gene targeting, as these studies provide the most physiologically relevant information on each molecule. We begin with a description of signaling channels initiated by TNF receptor type 1 engagement, which can lead to either cell survival or to cell death. The point of bifurcation of this pathway and the decision-making molecules FADD, TRAF2 and RIP are discussed. We then follow apoptotic and survival pathways from upstream to downstream, describing many important players involved in signal transduction. Molecules important for NF-kappaB and JNK/stress-activated protein kinase activation such as IKKbeta, NEMO, MAP3K and TRAF6 are discussed, as is the impact of BAFF and its receptors on B-cell survival. Mouse mutants that have helped to define the mammalian apoptosis execution machinery, including animals lacking Apaf-1, caspase-3 and caspase-9, are also described. We conclude with a brief analysis of the potential therapeutic options arising from this body of work.
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PMID:Signaling for survival and apoptosis in the immune system. 1211 Jan 44

The B subunit of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (EtxB) is a potent immunomodulatory molecule capable of treating and preventing autoimmune disease. These properties result from its ability to bind to glycolipid receptors, principally G(M1) ganglioside, and modulate immune cell function. EtxB receptor binding causes B cell activation, modulates monocyte cytokine secretion and triggers apoptosis of CD8+ T cells. These wide-ranging effects suggest that B subunit receptor interaction triggers signaling events affecting cellular differentiation. We have investigated the processes by which EtxB induces CD8+ T cell apoptosis. We show that receptor interaction by EtxB activates caspase-3 in CD8+ but not in CD4+ T cells. Inhibition of caspase-3 blocks the apoptotic process. EtxB induces the activation of NF-kappaB in both CD8+ and CD4+ T cells. The findings that (i) SN50, a peptide inhibitor of NF-kappaB nuclear translocation, prevents caspase-3 activation and subsequent apoptosis, and (ii) CD8+CD4- thymocytes from transgenic mice expressing a dominant-negative form of the IkappaBalpha protein were markedly less susceptible to EtxB-induced apoptosis than cells from wild-type mice, indicate that NF-kappaB is important in the induction of the apoptotic pathway. Further investigations revealed that while caspase-8 activity is detected concomitant to caspase-3, caspase-9 activation, following mitochondrial cytochrome c release, is detectable later on. These observations are consistent with death receptor-mediated signaling, however, experiments using lpr/lpr and p55 TNFR -/- mice rule out the involvement of Fas and the p55 TNF receptor, respectively. The data therefore indicate that EtxB-mediated apoptosis occurs via a novel pathway involving NF-kappaB.
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PMID:CD8+ T cell apoptosis induced by Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit occurs via a novel pathway involving NF-kappaB-dependent caspase activation. 1211 57

Much of what we know about apoptosis in human cells stems from pioneering genetic studies in the nematode C. elegans. However, one important way in which the regulation of mammalian cell death appears to differ from that of its nematode counterpart is in the employment of TNF and TNF receptor superfamilies. No members of these families are present in C. elegans, yet TNF factors play prominent roles in mammalian development and disease. Here, we describe the cloning and characterization of Eiger, a unique TNF homolog in Drosophila. Like a subset of mammalian TNF proteins, Eiger is a potent inducer of apoptosis. Unlike its mammalian counterparts, however, the apoptotic effect of Eiger does not require the activity of the caspase-8 homolog DREDD, but it completely depends on its ability to activate the JNK pathway. Eiger-induced cell death requires the caspase-9 homolog DRONC and the Apaf-1 homolog DARK. Our results suggest that primordial members of the TNF superfamily can induce cell death indirectly by triggering JNK signaling, which, in turn, causes activation of the apoptosome. A direct mode of action via the apical FADD/caspase-8 pathway may have been coopted by some TNF signaling systems only at subsequent stages of evolution.
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PMID:Evolution of TNF signaling mechanisms: JNK-dependent apoptosis triggered by Eiger, the Drosophila homolog of the TNF superfamily. 1217 39

FL5.12 pro-B lymphoma cells utilize the mitochondrial pathway to apoptosis in response to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor occupation, yet high levels of the Bcl-2 family antiapoptotic protein, Bcl-x(L), fail to protect these cells against TNF-receptor-activated death. Bcl-x(L) expression delays, but does not totally block, the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c (cyt c) in these cells in response to TNFalpha-induced apoptosis and caspase-9 is processed prior to mitochondrial cyt c release under these circumstances. Early processing of caspase-9 also occurred in Apaf-1 knockout murine fibroblasts in response to TNF-receptor occupation. A caspase-9-specific inhibitor was more effective in delaying the progression of apoptosis in the FL5.12 Bcl-x(L) cells than was an inhibitor specific to caspase-3. Furthermore, downregulation of caspase-9 levels by RNA interference resulted in partial protection of these cells against TNF-receptor-activated apoptosis, indicating that caspase-9 activation contributed to early amplification of the caspase cascade. Consistent with this, proteolytic processing of caspase-9 was observed prior to processing by caspase-3, suggesting that caspase-3 was not responsible for early caspase-9 activation. We show that murine caspase-9 is efficiently processed by active caspase-8 at SEPD, the motif at which caspase-9 autoprocesses following its recruitment to the apoptosome. Our results suggest that, in addition to processing procaspase-3 and the BH3 protein Bid, active caspase-8 can cleave and activate procaspase-9 in response to TNF receptor crosslinking in murine cells.
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PMID:Caspase-9 is activated in a cytochrome c-independent manner early during TNFalpha-induced apoptosis in murine cells. 1293 75

Ubiquitin inhibitors act at many levels to enhance apoptosis signaling. For TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated apoptosis signaling, there are at least five mechanisms by which apoptosis are regulated by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. First, proteasome inhibitors can decrease Fas-like inhibitor protein (FLIP) protein levels in tumors, resulting in increased apoptosis signaling due to increased caspase-8 activation. This appears to involve the ubiquitin ligase TNF receptor activation factor-2 (TRAF2) and acts indirectly by causing cell-cycle arrest at a stage where there is high degradation of the FLIP-TRAF2 complex. Second, the regulation of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member BAX occurs indirectly. Apoptosis signaling and caspase activation results in a confirmation change in the normally monomeric BAX, which exposes the BH3 domain of BAX, leading to dimerization and resistance to ubiquitin degradation. BAX then translocates into the mitochondria, resulting in the release of proapoptotic mitochondrial factors such as cytochrome c and second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (SMAC). This results in the activation of caspase-9 and formation of the apoptosome and efficient apoptosis signaling. A third mechanism of the regulation of TRAIL signaling in the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is mediated by the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAP) E3 ligases. These IAPs can directly bind to caspases but also can act as ubiquitin ligases for caspases, resulting in the degradation of these caspases. IAP binding to caspases can be inhibited by SMAC, which exhibits a caspase-9 homology domain. The fourth mechanism for apoptosis activation by proteasome inhibitors is through the stabilization of the inhibitor of the kappaB (IkappaB)/NF-kappaB complex and prevention of nuclear translocation of the antiapoptosis transcription factor NF-kappaB. During TRAIL-DR4, DR5 signaling, this pathway is activated by interactions of activated Fas-associated death domain with activated receptor-interacting protein (RIP), which in turn activates NF-kappaB-inducing kinase and phosphorylates IkappaB. Therefore, the inhibition of IkappaB degradation blocks this RIP-mediated antiapoptosis signaling event. Last, p53 protein levels, and susceptibility to apoptosis, can be deregulated by the human homolog Hdm2 (Mdm2) E3 ligase. This process is inhibited by p53 phosphorylation and by sequestration of Mdm2 by ARF. Better mechanisms to inhibit the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway targeted at the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation process itself, or more specifically at the E3 ligases known to modulate and downregulate proapoptosis pathways will lead to the enhancement of TRAIL apoptosis signaling and better cancer therapeutic outcomes act through this pathway.
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PMID:Regulation of apoptosis proteins in cancer cells by ubiquitin. 1502 88


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