Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0344329 (collapse)
 28,634 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Granzyme K (Gzm K) and granzyme A (GzmA) are the only two tryptases among all the granzymes. Tryptase activity is necessary for cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)/nature killer (NK) cells-mediated cytolysis. Granzyme K might be a potent granzyme to rescue the activity of granzyme A. Granzyme K expresses at high levels in CD56(high) NK cells, memory CD8+ T cells and CD56+ T cells. We recently demonstrated human granzyme K induces rapid cell death with rapid externalization of phosphatidylserine, nuclear morphological changes and single-stranded DNA nicks. Moreover, Granzyme K can induce rapid reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and collapse of mitochondrial inner membrane potential. Blockade of reactive oxygen species accumulation suppresses granzyme K-induced cell death. However, it is unknown about how reactive oxygen species generate in Granzyme K-mediated apoptosis. Here we found the redox factor-1/apurinic apyrimidinic endonuclease Ape1 can antagonize reactive oxygen species generation. Overexpression of Ape1 inhibits, whereas silencing Ape1 expression potentiates reactive oxygen species accumulation under treatment with oxidative reagents or loading with granzyme K. Ape1 is a physiological substrate of granzyme K. Ape1 cleavage by granzyme K facilitates intracellular reactive oxygen species accumulation and enhances granzyme K-induced cell death.
 ...
PMID:Granzyme K degrades the redox/DNA repair enzyme Ape1 to trigger oxidative stress of target cells leading to cytotoxicity. 1817 23

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, but the cellular and molecular mechanisms are still not fully understood. Type II pneumocytes are identified as the synthesizing cells of the alveolar surfactant, which has important properties in maintaining alveolar and airway stability. Lung surfactant can reduce the surface tension and prevent alveolar collapse and the airway walls collapse. Pulmonary surfactant components play important roles in normal lung function and inflammation in the lung. Surfactant has furthermore been shown to modulate the process of innate host defense, including suppression of cytokine secretion and transcription factor activation, in the inflammatory network of COPD. Abnormalities of lung surfactant might be one of the mechanisms leading to increased airway resistance in COPD. The increased expression of Granzyme A and B was found in lung tissues of patients with COPD and type II pneumocytes was proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of COPD. These novel findings provide new sights into the role of the type II pneumocytes in the pathogenesis of COPD.
 ...
PMID:Involvement of type II pneumocytes in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 2063 28