Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:5.99.1.3 (topoisomerase)
 9,911 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

There is compelling evidence for the central role of oxidative damage in the aging process and for the participation of reactive oxygen species in tumor initiation and promotion. Caloric restriction (CR) or energy restriction retards age-associated increases in mitochondrial free-radical production and reduces the accumulation of oxidatively damaged cell components. CR has also been shown to slow down age-related declines in various repair capabilities, including some types of DNA repair. It is proposed that inhibitors of mitochondrial electron transport and/or uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation (rotenone, amytal, amiodarone, valinomycin, etc.), when used at extremely low doses, could mimic the effects of CR in model systems. The objective is to lower mitochondrial free-radical production by decreasing the fraction of electron carriers in the reduced state. In addition to a variety of other effects, CR has been shown to increase the rate of apoptosis, particularly in preneoplastic cells, and in general, to promote elevated levels of free glucocorticoids (GCs). GCs are known to induce tissue-specific apoptosis and to upregulate gap-junction-mediated intercellular communication (GJIC). Tumor promoters like phorbol esters have the opposite effect, in that they inhibit both the process of apoptosis and GJIC. The enzyme poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is thought to play a central role in apoptosis, in a manner that has been highly conserved in evolution. There is good evidence that the apoptosis-associated Ca/Mg-dependent DNA endonuclease is maintained in a latent form by being poly (ADP-ribosylated). Apoptosis would require the removal of this polymer from the endonuclease, and, most likely, its removal from topoisomerase II and histone H1 as well. The role of poly (ADP-ribose) in apoptosis, carcinogenesis, and aging could be studied by the use of modulators of PARP activity (3-aminobenzamide, 3-nitrosobenzamide, 1% ethanol, etc.), inhibitors of poly ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase activity (ethacridine, 43 degrees C, etc.), and inhibitors of the PARP-specific protease (interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme (ICE)-like protease). Also, it would be of interest to determine if CR can decrease the half-life of poly (ADP-ribose), upregulate GJIC, and modulate the activities of PARP, the glycohydrolase, and the PARP-specific protease, factors potentially important in these processes.
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PMID:The beneficial effects of dietary restriction: reduced oxidative damage and enhanced apoptosis. 865 88

Stable transfected human p53 (mt/mt) B lymphoma Namalwa variant lines showing differential expression of the Bax-alpha protein were derived under hygromycin selection. Overexpression of Bax-alpha in these variant cells accelerates cell death induced by short or continuous treatments with various concentrations of camptothecin, etoposide, vinblastine and shows no accelerating cell death activity in cis-platinum and paclitaxel-treated cells. Activation of apoptosis and oligonucleosome-sized DNA fragmentation was observed in the variant lines with more pronounced effect in cells containing high level of Bax-alpha protein. These results suggest that increased cell death mediated by anticancer drugs correlates with Bax-alpha level of expression and that Bax-alpha sensitizes Namalwa cells treated at low drug concentrations. The extent of DNA synthesis inhibition following DNA topoisomerase inhibitor treatments was similar in control and all transfected Namalwa cells suggesting that Bax-alpha acts downstream of DNA topoisomerase-mediated DNA strand breaks. To define further the relation between Bax-alpha expression and apoptosis activation, kinetics of caspase activation was measured in drug-treated cells. Caspase activities were measured using specific fluorogenic peptide derivatives DABCYL-YVADAPV-EDANS and Ac-DEVD-AMC, substrates of the caspase 1-like and caspase 3-like families, respectively. In control and Bax-alpha transfected Namalwa cells no increase in caspase 1-like activity was detected following camptothecin and etoposide treatments. In contrast, a significant difference in Ac-DEVD-AMC hydrolysis activity was observed in Bax-alpha transfected Namalwa cells compared to that of control Namalwa cells after camptothecin and etoposide treatment. Increased caspase 3-like activity correlated also with poly(ADPribosyl) polymerase cleavage. Taken together, these results suggest that Bax-alpha sensitize B lymphoma cells to series of anticancer drugs and accelerates the activation of apoptotic protease cascade.
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PMID:Bax-alpha promotes apoptosis induced by cancer chemotherapy and accelerates the activation of caspase 3-like cysteine proteases in p53 double mutant B lymphoma Namalwa cells. 1020 May 2

Dexrazoxane (ICRF-187) is an inhibitor of the catalytic activity of DNA topoisomerase II (topo II) that does not stabilize DNA-topo II covalent complexes. Here, we examined cytotoxic signaling by ICRF-187 in human leukemic CEM cells and a teniposide (VM-26)-resistant subline, CEM/VM-1. Treatment of CEM and CEM/VM-1 cells with ICRF-187 induced apoptotic cell death characterized by internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, nuclear condensation, and induction of at least caspase-3- and -7-like protease activities (but not caspase 1). Treatment of these cells with Z-Asp-2,6-dichlorobenzoyloxymethyl-ketone, a potent inhibitor of apoptosis, inhibited ICRF-187-induced DEVD-specific caspase activity and apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. ICRF-187-induced apoptosis in CEM cells was associated with transient induction of c-jun and activation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1). However, CEM/VM-1 cells, which were 3-fold more sensitive than CEM cells to ICRF-187 due to a decrease in topo II activity, exhibited ICRF-187-induced apoptosis in the absence of c-jun induction and JNK1 activation. These results indicate that catalytic inhibition of topo II by ICRF-187 leads to apoptosis through at least a caspase-3- and -7-like protease-dependent mechanism and suggest that c-jun and JNK1 are not required in ICRF-187-induced apoptosis in CEM cells.
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PMID:Induction of apoptosis by dexrazoxane (ICRF-187) through caspases in the absence of c-jun expression and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) activation in VM-26-resistant CEM cells. 1048 26

The protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, has been reported to inhibit proliferation and to induce cell death in various non-solid and solid cancer cell lines. Herein, we examined the effects of genistein in several human malignant glioma cell lines. We found that genistein inhibited the proliferation of LN-18, LNT-229, LN-308 and T98G cells at EC50 concentrations of 25-80 microM (72 h of exposure). The growth of a non-neoplastic immortalized human astrocyte cell line, SV-FHAS, was inhibited at similar concentrations. There was a reduction in [3H]-methylthymidine incorporation and a moderate lactate dehydrogenase release as a sign of cell death in genistein-treated glioma cells. Electron microscopy showed morphological changes with mitochondrial swelling and apoptosis in glioma cells treated with high concentrations of genistein. Genistein-induced cytotoxicity was associated with an increased DNA/topoisomerase II complex formation. Furthermore, genistein induced cell cycle arrest in G2/M. There was an increase in the p53 and p21 levels in response to genistein. However, there was no difference in genistein sensitivity between p21-deficient colon carcinoma cells and isogenic control cells. Genistein-induced cell death in LN-18 and LNT-229 was unaffected by the ectopic expression of the preferential caspase 1/8 inhibitor, crm-A, or co-exposure to the pan-specific pseudosubstrate caspase inhibitor, zVAD-fmk. The ectopic expression of the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 protein attenuated the cytotoxic effects of genistein. Moreover, the ectopic expression of temperature-sensitive p53V135A, which acts as a dominant-negative p53 mutant at 38.5 degrees C but assumes p53 wild-type properties at 32.5 degrees C, in LN-18 or LNT-229 cells, had no effect on genistein cytotoxicity at either temperature. Genistein did not act in synergy with CD95 ligand-induced apoptosis or various cancer chemotherapy drugs in cytotoxic or clonogenic cell death assays. Thus, genistein-like protein kinase inhibitors are promising agents for the experimental treatment of malignant gliomas.
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PMID:The topoisomerase II inhibitor, genistein, induces G2/M arrest and apoptosis in human malignant glioma cell lines. 1835 97