Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023418 (leukemia)
 93,477 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The induction of tumor cell differentiation represents an attractive strategy for the treatment of a wide range of malignancies. Differentiation of HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells towards neutrophils or monocytes has been shown to induce apoptotic cell death, which is inhibited by bcl-2 over-expression. However, the role of the bcl-2 gene family during erythroid differentiation of human leukemia cells remains unknown. We found that human erythroleukemia (HEL) and K562, two leukemia cell lines that undergo erythroid differentiation do not express Bcl-2, but express Bcl-XL, a related protein that functions as an inhibitor of apoptosis. Differentiation of HEL or K562 cells with inducers of erythroid differentiation (hemin, retinoic acid, or transforming growth factor-beta) was accompanied by progressive cell death and degradation of genomic DNA into oligonucleosomal fragments. The loss of cellular viability was associated with downregulation of bcl-xL mRNA and protein. In contrast, the levels of Bax, another Bcl-2 family member implicated in apoptosis remained unaltered. Constitutive expression of Bcl-XL by gene transfer inhibited apoptosis triggered by erythroid differentiation of HEL K562 cells. Yet, Bcl-XL did not alter the expression of epsilon-globin, which is induced during erythoid differentiation of HEL and K562 cells, arguing that apoptosis and differentiation can be uncoupled by Bcl-XL. These results indicate that Bcl-XL acts as an antiapoptosis protein in leukemia cells that undergo erythroid differentiation and that downregulation of bcl-x is a component of the apoptotic response that is coupled to differentiation in human leukemia cells.
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PMID:Apoptosis induced by erythroid differentiation of human leukemia cell lines is inhibited by Bcl-XL. 861 10

Mice deficient for B cell leukemia/lymphoma gene 2 [bcl-2(-/-) mice] manifest congenital renal hypoplasia and develop multicystic kidney disease and renal failure postnatally. To characterize postpartum renal development, to identify the cellular origin of the cysts, and to provide insight into the role that bcl-2 deficiency plays in the cystogenic process, we examined the morphology of kidneys from bcl-2 (-/-) mice and wild-type littermates [bcl-2 (+/+)] from birth (P0) to postpartum day 28 (P28), determined whether abnormalities of cellular proliferation and apoptosis accompany cyst development, and characterized expression of the bcl-2-related protein, bax. Between P0 and P7, kidneys from bcl-2 (-/-) and bcl-2 (+/+) mice undergo a comparable increase in weight and have similar histological appearances. However, during the next 2 wk of life, weight gain in kidneys from bcl-2 (-/-) mice is reduced compared with that in kidneys from bcl-2 (+/+) animals, and cysts develop in tubules with staining characteristics of proximal tubule, distal tubule/medullary thick ascending limb of Henle's loop, and collecting duct. Unaffected glomeruli and proximal tubules in kidneys of bcl-2 (-/-) mice undergo compensatory growth. Cystogenesis is accompanied by enhanced incorporation of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine in cells within cortex and medulla and apoptosis of cells within cysts and in the renal interstitium. Bax protein is expressed in the distal tubule in kidneys of bcl-2 (+/+) and bcl-2 (-/-) mice and in some, but not all cysts. We conclude that abnormal regulation of DNA synthesis and apoptosis accompany cystogenesis in bcl-2 (-/-) mice during postpartum kidney development. Continued expression of bax could enhance apoptotic cell death.
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PMID:Abnormal postpartum renal development and cystogenesis in the bcl-2 (-/-) mouse. 876 Feb 59

The cells from approximately 70% patients with acute myeloblastic leukaemia exhibit autonomous growth characteristics in vitro, which have been associated with a poor response to therapy. We have previously shown that leukaemic cells with autonomous growth characteristics express high levels of bcl-2 and are relatively resistant to apoptosis. As bcl-x(L) is a bcl-2-related gene with anti-apoptotic activity which also confers resistance to cytotoxic drugs we have studied its expression in AML in relation to cellular growth characteristics and to the expression of P-glycoprotein. Cells from 15 patients were studied. Immunoblotting demonstrated bands at 31 kDa corresponding to bcl-x(L) from the cells of all patients. Bcl-x(S) was not detected in any sample. Using standardised, quantitative flow cytometry, bcl-x(L) expression ranged from 0.25 x 10(5) to 4.24 x 10(5) bound FITC molecules, (median 1.35 x 10[5]). AML blasts with autonomous growth in vitro expressed more bcl-x(L) (median 1.76 x 10[5]) than those which did not (median 0.86 x 10(5), P=0.01). Quantitative bcl-x(L) expression strongly correlated with that of P-glycoprotein, also measured by quantitative flow cytometry using the MRK16 antibody (r=0.95, P < 0.001), but not with MRPr1. These results provide a further explanation for the poor prognosis associated with autonomous in vitro growth of AML blasts and illustrate that these cells may coexpress different modalities of resistance to cytotoxic drug therapy involving both anti-apoptotic pathways (bcl-x(L), bcl-2) and classic multidrug resistance (MDR1). The implication of these findings is that the use of agents to reverse MDR1 function in AML may be unsuccessful in the absence of strategies to reduce resistance to apoptosis.
Leukemia 1997 Jul
PMID:Bcl-x(L) is heterogenously expressed by acute myeloblastic leukaemia cells and is associated with autonomous growth in vitro and with P-glycoprotein expression. 920 73

The proto-oncogene bcl-2 and a bcl-2-related gene bcl-x prevent apoptotic cell death induced by various treatments. Although a mechanism has been proposed that involves Bcl-2 activity on reactive oxygen species (ROS), we find that expression of Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL prevents cell death induced by withdrawal of oxygen (hypoxia) and that the cell death does not involve ROS, suggesting that Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL exerts an anti-cell death function by a mechanism other than through regulation of ROS activity. Using electron microscopy, and confocal and non-confocal fluorescence microscopy, we show that hypoxia induces both necrosis and apoptosis. Overexpression of Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL blocks hypoxia-induced apoptosis and, although to a lesser extent, necrosis. The anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL effectively inhibit KCN-induced cell death which is characterized by necrotic features including apparently intact chromatin, remarkable mitochondrial swelling with loss of crista structure and loss of plasma membrane integrity. The necrotic cell death is also inhibited by inhibitors of ICE (interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme)(-like) proteases, the common mediators of apoptosis. These results indicate that Bcl-2/Bcl-xL and ICE(-like) proteases modulate both apoptotic and at least some forms of necrotic cell death, suggesting that both cell death pathways involve some common mediators.
Leukemia 1997 Apr
PMID:Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL block apoptosis as well as necrosis: possible involvement of common mediators in apoptotic and necrotic signal transduction pathways. 920 97

Recently, apoptosis has been implicated in the selective neuronal loss of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Apoptosis is regulated by the B cell leukemia-2 gene product (Bcl-2) family (Bcl-2, Bcl-x, Bax, Bak and Bad) and the caspase family (ICH-1 and CPP32), with apoptosis being prevented by Bcl-2 and Bcl-x, and promoted by Bax, Bak, Bad, ICH-1 and CPP32. In the present study, we examined the levels of these proteins in the membranous and cytosolic fractions of temporal cortex in AD and control brain. In the membranous fraction, the levels of Bcl-2 alpha, Bcl-xL, Bcl-x beta, Bak and Bad were increased in AD. In the cytosolic fractions, the level of Bcl-x beta was increased, while Bcl-xL, Bax, Bak, and Bad and ICH-1L were unchanged. CPP32 was not detected in AD or control brain. These findings demonstrate a differential involvement of cell death-regulatory proteins in AD and suggest that Bak, Bad, Bcl-2 and Bcl-x are upregulated in AD brains.
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PMID:Alteration of proteins regulating apoptosis, Bcl-2, Bcl-x, Bax, Bak, Bad, ICH-1 and CPP32, in Alzheimer's disease. 950 58

The vitamin D analogue KH1060 and the retinoids all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cRA) and 4-hydroxyphenyl retinamide (4-HPR) induce differentiation and/or apoptosis and inhibit clonal growth of acute promyelocytic leukaemia cells. We have studied the effects of these agents in vitro on cells from 12 patients with other forms of acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML). Treatment with KH1060 (10(-6) M) caused decreases in cell viability in suspension culture to a median of 44% of control values (P=0.02). However, retinoids had little effect. Subsequent clonal growth in semi-solid medium was inhibited to 5% (median) of control with 10(-6) M KH 1060 (P=0.03) and to 73% with 10(-6) M 9-cRA (P=0.01). Further inhibition of clonal growth by the combination of 5 x 10(-7) M 9-cRA and 5 x 10(-7) M KH1060 was only noted in one case. Following the primary suspension culture, cells from 6/6 CD34 positive samples grew in semi-solid cultures without analogues, whereas cells from 3/6 CD34 negative cultures grew. 10(-6) M KH1060 completely abolished colony growth in all three CD34 negative samples and 10(-6) M 9-cRA inhibited the number of colonies to a median of 11% of control values. In the six CD34 positive samples median colony growth was inhibited to 36% of control values by KH1060 and to 83% of control values by 9-cRA. CD11b expression was increased by 210% (median) with 9-cRA and by 90% (median) with KH1060 in early to intermediate myeloblast (M0, M1, M2) clones. A different pattern was noted in more mature (M4, M5, M6) clones: here there was little or no increase in CD11b expression induced by retinoids or KH1060, but the ratio of apoptotic to viable CD11b+ cells, measured by CD11b/7-AAD double staining, was increased in 6/6 cases treated with KH1060 or the combination of 9-cRA and KH 1060, and in 5/6 cases treated with 9-cRA. No overall significant change in bcl-2 or bax expression on G0/G1 cells was found after 3 days' suspension culture with the analogues. However bcl-x was downregulated in G0/G1 cells treated with KH1060 (median bcl-x relative fluorescence intensity = 45.3 in cells treated with KH1060, compared with 65.7 in control wells, P=0.028). We conclude that CD34+ samples are relatively resistant to the growth inhibition induced by KH1060 and 9-cRA. However, downregulation of bcl-x in cells which have survived treatment with KH1060 may increase the susceptibility of the remaining leukaemic cells to cytotoxic drugs.
Leukemia 1998 Nov
PMID:Blast maturity and CD34 expression determine the effects of the differentiating agents KH1060 and 9-cis-retinoic acid on the differentiation and clonogenicity of non-M3 acute myeloid leukaemia cells. 982 49

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) Tax is thought to play a pivotal role in immortalization of T cells. We have recently shown that the expression of Tax protected the mouse T-cell line CTLL-2 against apoptosis induced by interleukin-2 (IL-2) deprivation and converted its growth from being IL-2 dependent to being IL-2 independent. In this study, we demonstrate that constitutive expression of bcl-xl but not bcl-2, bcl-xs, bak, bad, or bax was associated with apoptosis resistance after IL-2 deprivation in CTLL-2 cells that expressed Tax. Transient-transfection assays showed that bcl-x promoter was transactivated by wild-type Tax. Similar effects were observed in mutant Tax retaining transactivating ability through NF-kappaB. Deletion or substitution of a putative NF-kappaB binding site identified in the bcl-x promoter significantly decreased Tax-induced transactivation. This NF-kappaB-like element was able to form a complex with NF-kappaB family proteins in vitro. Furthermore, Tax-induced transactivation of the bcl-x promoter was also diminished by the mutant IkappaBalpha, which specifically inhibits NF-kappaB activity. Our findings suggest that constitutive expression of Bcl-x(L) induced by Tax through the NF-kappaB pathway contributes to the inhibition of apoptosis in CTLL-2 cells after IL-2 deprivation.
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PMID:Induction of Bcl-x(L) expression by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 Tax through NF-kappaB in apoptosis-resistant T-cell transfectants with Tax. 1048 45

Nonresponse to remission-induction chemotherapy, which remains a major problem in acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), has been linked to cellular resistance to apoptosis. Because the apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutic drugs is mediated by loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MTP), it was postulated that sensitivity to mitochondrial membrane depolarization might be heterogeneous in AML. Using the uncoupling agent carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (mClCCP), the mitochondrial membrane sensitivity to depolarization (mClCCP concentrations that inhibit 50% of the transmembrane potential [IC(50)]) in AML blasts was measured and demonstrated marked interclonal heterogeneity, with the existence of comparatively sensitive (median mClCCP IC(50), 4 microM) and resistant (median mClCCP IC(50), 10 microM) clones. Furthermore, the mClCCP IC(50) was inversely associated with spontaneous in vitro apoptosis (P =.001). It was high in cases with mutant TP53 and correlated with the total cellular level of the multidrug resistance-associated protein (P =.019) but not of bcl-2, bax, or bcl-x. It was also found that the dithiol oxidant diamide, in contrast to the monovalent thiol oxidant diethyl maleate, increased the sensitivity of mitochondrial membranes to mClCCP. To confirm that TP53 directly affects MTP in leukemic cells and to establish the role of vicinal thiol oxidation in the TP53-dependent pathway, CEM 4G5 leukemia cells with forced, temperature-dependent expression of TP53 were studied. Monobromobimane, which inhibits mitochondrial membrane depolarization by preventing dithiol cross-linking, inhibited depolarization and apoptosis in 4G5 cells. It was concluded that in leukemia, TP53 and vicinal thiol/disulfide status are determinants of mitochondrial membrane sensitivity to depolarization, which is in turn associated with spontaneous apoptosis.
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PMID:Mitochondrial membrane sensitivity to depolarization in acute myeloblastic leukemia is associated with spontaneous in vitro apoptosis, wild-type TP53, and vicinal thiol/disulfide status. 1143 10

To explore the effect of NF-kappa B on bcl-x gene transcription in extended drug resistance leukemia cell line HL-60/E6, drug-resistant subline HL-60/E6 was derived by intermittently exposing HL-60 cells to 6 ng/ml epirubicin. Indirect immunofluorescence was used to demonstrate the location of NF-kappa B-RelA in HL-60/E6 cells. FCM analysis and RT-PCR were used to detect the efficiency of liposome-mediated ODN transfection and the change of bcl-XL mRNA levels after 5 mumol/L phosphorothioate (PS)-derivatized antisense (AS) oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) directed to RelA was transferred into HL-60/E6 cells. The results showed that RelA remained persistently active and located at the nuclei of HL-60/E6 cells, but in the cytoplasm of HL-60 cells, the efficiency of liposome-mediated ODN transfection was significantly higher than that of null ODN (P < 0.01 in 4 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h). Exposure of HL-60/E6 cells to 5 mumol/L AS-PS-ODN directed to RelA led to a maximal 40% decline of bcl-XL mRNA levels within 8 h. The inhibition rate of bcl-XL mRNA was (15 +/- 1.79)%, (28 +/- 2.34)%, (40 +/- 3.47)%, (20 +/- 1.54)%, in 4 h, 6 h, 8 h, 15 h, respectively, but it was less than 15% in control group. It was concluded that NF-kappa B was involved in regulating bcl-x transcription. It was suggested that NF-kappa B was an important factor for drug resistance in leukemia cells.
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PMID:Effect of antisense oligodeoxynucleotide directed to NF-kappa B-RelA on Bcl-XL mRNA in extended drug resistance leukemia cell line HL-60/E6. 1152 42

We reported here abnormal expression profile of the bcl-x gene is associated with the recurrence in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).The bcl-x gene product exists in two forms, bcl-xl and bcl-xs. The bcl-xl, similar to bcl-2, inhibits apoptosis, whereas bcl-xs counters the effects of bcl-2 and bcl-xl. Mononuclear cells of bone marrow cells were obtained from 50 patients with recurrent AML at diagnosis prior to treatment and during relapse. We investigated the expression of the two isoforms of the bcl-x gene, bcl-xl and bcl-xs. The bcl-xl transcript was detected in all patients at both stages, but the bcl-xs transcript was not detected in six cases at both stages and in seven other cases at relapse (bcl-xs (-) group, n=13). The duration of relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) of the bcl-xs (-) group were significantly shorter than those of the bcl-xs (+) group (RFS: P=0.04; OS: P=0.02). Subsequently, mutation of the bcl-x gene was investigated. No mutation of the bcl-x gene was detected in all patients of both stages. Some refractory leukemic cells which escape chemotherapy-induced apoptosis due to loss of the bcl-xs transcript may continue to proliferate, resulting in the relapse of chemotherapy-resistant leukemia. The examination of the expression status of the bcl-x gene could facilitate the prediction of chemotherapy resistance and the prognosis of patients with refractory AML. The future large study will confirm the present data about loss of bcl-xs gene expression as prognostic factor.
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PMID:The study for loss of bcl-xs expression as a prognostic factor in acute myeloid leukemia. 1244 85


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