Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P04637 (p53)
 77,613 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

With the ultimate goal of characterizing the molecular pathogenesis of oral cancer, the most predominant malignancy in India, immunocytochemical evaluation of p53 and bcl-2 proteins was carried out in hypeplastic oral mucosa, dysplastic oral mucosa and invasive oral cancer. All subjects gave a similar and almost uniform history of prolonged use of betal quid and tobacco. Expression of p53 was insignificant while bcl-2 was absent in hyperplastic leukoplakia lesions. Both proteins were however expressed in leukoplakia with apparent dysplasia. Almost all invasive cancer lesions showed high levels of both p53 and bcl-2. Good correlation was therefore evident between expression of these two proteins and increasing histologic abnormality. Moreover relative risk evaluation revealed that lesions expressing p53 and bcl-2 had a high probability of having a histology of dysplasia or worse. Since it has been previously shown that wild type p53 regulates the expression of bcl-2, it may be presumed that the protein detected in the dysplastic and malignant oral tissue is of the mutant type. It is also known that p53 is a positive regulator of programmed cell death or apoptosis while bcl-2 is an anti-apoptotic protein. This suggests the possibility that alterations in p53 followed by over-expression of bcl-2 occur early in oral carcinogenesis resulting in defective apoptosis and subsequent tumor progression.
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PMID:Expression of programmed cell death regulatory p53 and bcl-2 proteins in oral lesions. 869 36

Endogenously generated or exogenously supplied nitric oxide (NO)-induced apoptotic cell death in the mouse macrophage cell line RAW 264.7. Apoptotic signaling caused an early accumulation of the tumor suppressor p53 prior to DNA fragmentation. Contrary to the notion of specific activating signals, inhibitory transduction mechanisms largely remain unknown. Therefore, RAW 264.7 macrophages were stably transfected with human Bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic protein. Bcl-2 transfectants showed substantial protection from cell death induced following the exposure to NO donors such as S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) and spermine-NO. In contrast, in RAW 264. 7 parent or in neomycin control-transformed cells, these NO donors induced internucleosomal DNA cleavage in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly, expression of the inducible NO synthase in response to lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma also caused apoptosis in RAW macrophages and neo controls within 24 h. In contrast, Bcl-2 transfectants appeared highly resistant, although inducible NO synthase levels increased along with concomitant nitrite production similar to control cells. The expression of p53 and Bax was also explored in controls and Bcl-2 transfectants after GSNO addition. GSNO induced p53 expression in Bcl-2 transfectants at levels comparable with nontransfected RAW macrophages. Moreover, GSNO induced increases in the steady-state levels of Bax protein in parental and Bcl-2-transfected cells. We conclude therefore, that Bcl-2 acts downstream of p53, presumably nullifying the NO-mediated increase in Bax protein in RAW 264.7 cells.
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PMID:Bcl-2 protects macrophages from nitric oxide-induced apoptosis. 870 45

Contemporary therapies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) commonly fail to cure patients because of the emergence of drug resistance. Drug resistance in AML is multifactorial but can be associated with the overexpression of transmembrane transporter molecules, including P-glycoprotein (Pgp) or the multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP), or associated with inactivation of the p53 tumor suppressor gene, as well as overexpression of the anti-apoptotic protein bcl-2. We are investigating if novel recombinant biotherapeutics can circumvent these resistance mechanisms to effectively treat refractory AML. To target the lethal action of diphtheria toxin (DT) to high affinity granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF) receptors on AML blasts, we have produced a recombinant chimeric fusion toxin, DTctGMCSF. Since DTctGMCSF enters and kills its target cells by unique mechanisms (GMCSF-receptor binding and protein synthesis inhibition) and is not similar in structure to Pgp or MRP substrates, we postulated that it would be an active agent against therapy-resistant AML. DTctGMCSF was selectively cytotoxic (IC50 1-10ng/ml) to GMCSF-receptor positive AML cells expressing the Pgp- or MRP-associated multi-drug resistant phenotypes, despite high level resistance to conventional chemotherapeutic agents. DTctGMCSF also efficiently killed AML cells deficient in p53 expression, as well as radiation-resistant AML cells and mixed lineage leukemia cells expressing high levels of bcl-2. In addition, DTctGMCSF killed > 99% of primary leukemic progenitor cells from therapy-refractory AML patients under conditions that we have previously found to not adversely affect the proliferative capacity or differentiation of pluripotent normal hematopoietic progenitor cells. DTctGMCSF may prove useful in treating myeloid leukemias that are otherwise resistant to a wide range of conventional therapies.
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PMID:Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor-targeted therapy of chemotherapy- and radiation-resistant human myeloid leukemias. 916 35

Oestrogen is assumed to play a significant role in cell cycle regulation of cells expressing the oestrogen receptor, although its mechanism of action is not yet well defined. To examine this, a mutant p53-expressing human endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line of the oestradiol-inhibited growth phenotype was treated with oestradiol for 2 weeks (short-term) and 6 months (long-term). With short-term treatment, cells were treated with increasing doses of oestradiol. The highest dose, 1 microM, was used in the long-term interval. The influence of the hormone on growth, proliferation and expression of some cell cycle and apoptosis-related proteins was evaluated. In cells treated for 2 weeks, there was a dose-dependent inhibition of both growth and proliferation with a significant decrease in labelling index (LI) and S-phase fraction (SPF) and a simultaneous increase in the fraction of cells in G0/G1. Extending the oestradiol treatment to 6 months showed further growth retardation and decreased proliferation with cells accumulating in G0/G1. Analysis of the expression of p21WAF1/Cip1 showed a nearly 2-fold increase after 2 weeks treatment with 1 microM oestradiol, which was also observed after long-term treatment without any further increase in protein levels. Expression of the anti-apoptotic protein bcl-2 was not affected after short-term treatment but decreased significantly after 6 months treatment compared to control cells. Our results suggest the existence of a p53-independent pathway of oestradiol regulation of growth and proliferation in this human endometrial adenocarcinoma, resulting in accumulation of cells in G0/G1 through p21WAF1/Cip1 induction and, after prolonged treatment, downregulation of bcl-2 protein.
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PMID:Short- and long-term oestradiol treatment inhibits growth and alters expression of p21WAF1/Cip1 in an endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line lacking functional p53. 947 Aug 15

Scatter factor (SF) (hepatocyte growth factor) is a cytokine that may play a role in human breast cancer invasiveness and angiogenesis. We now report that SF can block the induction of apoptosis by various DNA damaging-agents, including cytotoxic agents used in breast cancer therapy. SF protected MDA-MB-453 human breast cancer cells, EMT6 mouse mammary tumor cells and MDCK renal epithelial cells against apoptosis induced by adriamycin (ADR), X-rays, ultraviolet radiation, and other agents. Protection was observed in assays of DNA fragmentation, cell viability (MTT), and clonogenic survival. Protection of MDA-MB-453 cells against ADR was dose- and time-dependent; maximal protection required pre-incubation with 75-100 ng/ml of SF for 48 h or more. Protection required functional SF receptor (c-Met), but was not dependent on p53. Western blotting analysis revealed that pre-treatment of MDA-MB-453 cells with SF inhibited the ADR-induced decreases in the levels of Bcl-XL, an anti-apoptotic protein related to Bcl-2; and the dose-response and time course characteristics for SF-mediated increases in the Bcl-XL protein levels of ADR-treated cells were consistent with the degrees of protection against apoptosis observed under the same conditions. Furthermore, Bcl-XL levels were not down-regulated by ADR in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, consistent with the finding that SF failed to protect these cells against ADR, despite the fact that they contain functional c-Met receptor. In contrast to Bcl-XL, SF blocked ADR-induced increases in c-Myc and inhibited the expression of p21WAF1/CIP1 and of the BRCA1 protein in MDA-MB-453 cells. However, SF did not cause significant changes in the cell cycle distribution of ADR-treated cells. These findings suggest that SF-mediated protection of human breast cancer cells may involve inhibition of one or more pathways required for the activation of apoptosis and may particularly target the anti-apoptotic mitochondrial membrane pore-forming protein Bcl-XL as a component of the protective mechanism. By implication, the accumulation of SF within human breast cancers may contribute to the development of a radio- or chemoresistant phenotype.
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PMID:Scatter factor protects epithelial and carcinoma cells against apoptosis induced by DNA-damaging agents. 967 97

Combinations of nucleoside analog drugs, such as F-araA and ara-C, combined with Topoisomerase II inhibitors, such as anthracyclines, are synergistic against human leukemic T-cells and induce apoptotic cell death. Similarly, nucleoside analog drugs followed by mitotic inhibitors also have a synergistic effect. Sequence specific combinations of F-araA followed by ara-C and Taxotere (docetaxel) in CEM/0 cells showed a 2- to 3-fold synergism over the two drug (F-araA + ara-C) combinations and 2- to 4-fold synergism over Taxotere alone. This synergism was evident due to enhanced cellular apoptosis. In the CEM/ara-C/7A cell line, which is partially resistant to ara-C, the synergy observed with the triple drug combination was 9-fold greater than the F-araA plus araC combination, and 3-fold greater than Taxotere alone, making this three-drug regimen collaterally sensitive to ara-C. This study describes the mechanisms of the synergistic effect in regards to apoptosis achieved by three-drug regimens comprised of two nucleoside analog drugs and a mitotic inhibitor in comparison with the combination of two nucleotide analog drugs. The study also demonstrates that the possible biochemical mechanism of cellular toxicity and drug synergism is attributed to induction of apoptosis following drug treatment and the onset of the apoptotic cascade is primarily regulated by p21/WAF-I, which is transcriptionally activated by p53 following DNA damage. The anti-apoptotic protein, bcl-2, seemed to have no effect in inhibiting apoptosis following treatment with the two or three drug regimens in this in vitro leukemia model. The three-drug combination induced greater cellular apoptosis than the two-drug combination or Taxotere monotherapy. We conclude that the greater drug synergism observed in human leukemic cells, sensitive or resistant to ara-C, by Fludarabine + ara-C + Taxotere can be explained by the greater oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation indicative of increased cellular apoptosis. The mechanism of this increased cytotoxic action is due to the upregulation of p53 and p21/WAF-1 with a down regulation of bcl-2. These studies are encouraging, and testing this three drug regimen in a clinical setting may result in improved antileukemic therapies.
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PMID:Increased p21/WAF-1 and p53 protein levels following sequential three drug combination regimen of fludarabine, cytarabine and docetaxel induces apoptosis in human leukemia cells. 970 75

Solid tumors usually have regions of hypoxia and glucose deprivation. Human colon carcinoma HT-29 cells show an apoptosis-resistant phenotype in response to microenvironmental stresses. In this study, we isolated a novel mutant of HT-29, designated as HA511, that showed a high apoptotic response to hypoxia, glucose deprivation and treatment with the chemical stressors tunicamycin and glucosamine. The mutant HA511 cells exhibited nuclear condensation and fragmentation and activation of CPP32 (caspase-3) protease under the stress conditions, while the parental HT-29 cells did not. We found that apoptosis occurred in HA511 cells after prolonged cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase, while in the parental cells a progression to S phase occurred after the G1 arrest. Upon exposure to an anti-Fas antibody, HA511 cells underwent apoptosis, whereas the parental cells proliferated without substantial cell death. Furthermore, HA511 cells were preferentially hypersensitive to cisplatin. We found no alteration in expression of GRP78, anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-XL, or p53, of which the gene was mutated in HT-29 cells. The mutant HA511 cells could provide useful information on the mechanism of apoptosis of solid tumors.
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PMID:A novel mutant from apoptosis-resistant colon cancer HT-29 cells showing hyper-apoptotic response to hypoxia, low glucose and cisplatin. 991 86

CD44 has diverse functions in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions and may be a determinant of metastatic and invasive behaviour in carcinomas. The immunohistochemical expression of CD44 in a series of 110 colorectal carcinomas and 25 adenomas was examined using the monoclonal mouse anti-human phagocytic glycoprotein-1, CD44 (clone DF 1485) in correlation with the expression of basement membrane (BM) antigens (type IV collagen, laminin), fibronectin, cathepsin D, p53, Rb, bcl-2, c-erbB-2, EGFR, proliferation indices (Ki-67, PCNA) and with other conventional clinicopathological variables. In adenomas, low CD44 expression (<10% of neoplastic cells) was present in 16%, moderate (10-50% of neoplastic cells) in 52% and extensive (>50% of neoplastic cells) in 32% of cases. In carcinomas, low CD44 expression was found in 14.5%, moderate in 28.2% and extensive in 57.30%. Although the CD44 expression was higher in carcinomas than in adenomas, we found no statistically significant difference between these two groups. CD44 expression in carcinomas was positively correlated with tumour size (P=0.018), tumour cells cathepsin D (P=0.022), stromal cell cathepsin D (P=0.003) and Rb protein (P=0.021). An inverse correlation was observed between CD44 and the anti-apoptotic protein expression bcl-2 in adenocarcinomas (P=0.039) and in adenomas (P=0.021). These data suggest that CD44 may be involved in the process of invasion and metastasis, probably with the cooperation of cathepsin D. Its expression may be an indicator of poor prognosis in colorectal adenocarcinomas.
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PMID:Glycoprotein CD44 expression in colorectal neoplasms. An immuno-histochemical study including correlation with cathepsin D, extracellular matrix components, p53, Rb, bcl-2, c-erbB-2, EGFR and proliferation indices. 1007 Dec 34

The contact of natural killer (NK) cells with foreign cells and with certain virus-infected or tumor cells triggers the cytolytic machinery of NK cells. This triggering leads to exocytosis of the cytotoxic NK cell granules. The oncoproteins c-Myc and E1A render cells vulnerable to NK cell mediated cytolysis yet the mechanisms of sensitization are not well understood. In a model where foreign cells (rat fibroblasts) were cocultured with human IL-2 activated NK cells, we observed that NK cells were capable of efficiently killing their targets only if the cells overexpressed the oncogene c-Myc or E1A. Both the parental and the oncogene expressing fibroblasts similarly triggered phosphoinositide hydrolysis in the bound NK cells, demonstrating that NK cells were cytolytically activated in contact with both resistant parental and oncogene expressing sensitive target fibroblasts. The cell death was independent of wild-type p53 and was not inhibited by an anti-apoptotic protein EIB19K. These results provided evidence that c-Myc and E1A activated the NK cell induced cytolysis at a post-triggering stage of NK cell-target cell interaction. In consistence, the c-Myc and E1A overexpressing fibroblasts were more sensitive to the cytolytic effects of isolated NK cell-derived granules than parental cells. The data indicate that oncogenes activate the cytotoxicity of NK cell granules. This mechanism can have a role in directing the cytolytic action of NK cells towards the virus-infected and cancer cells.
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PMID:c-Myc and E1A induced cellular sensitivity to activated NK cells involves cytotoxic granules as death effectors. 1032 64

Protein A (PA) of Staphylococcus aureus is known as an immunomodulator. In a search of the molecular mechanism(s) of PA-induced immunocyte potentiation, we found dose-dependent binding of PA (0.01 to 100 microg/ml PA) to the mice splenic lymphocytes. Interestingly, treatment of 1 microg PA/20 g mice increased the splenic lymphocyte number approximately 5-fold over control but at a 10-microg dose the cell number was decreased compared with a 1-microg dose. Flow cytometric analysis of cell-cycle phase distribution of nuclear DNA in splenic lymphocytes showed that at a 1-microg dose, PA shifted the cell-cycle phases from G0/G1 to S and G2/M supporting the pro-proliferative role of PA. In contrast, the same inducer increased the sub-G1 cell population at a 10-microg dose indicating the breakdown of cellular DNA. These findings were supported by DNA ladder formation and nuclear breakdown at this higher dose. Further studies revealed that at a 1-microg dose, the level of the pro-proliferative/anti-apoptotic protein bcl-2 was increased in splenic lymphocytes whereas at a 10-microg dose it showed a decreasing trend. In contrast, concentrations of proapoptotic proteins, p53 and bax, were increased at a 10-microg dose. A search of the mechanism(s) of such differential action of PA at these two doses revealed that the lower dose of PA upregulated the production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) to the extent which has already been reported by our laboratory to be beneficial to the host. However, at a larger dose, much higher release of TNF-alpha and interleukin-2 (IL-2) may account for the apoptosis of splenic cells. All these findings indicated that the cross-talk between all these pro- and anti-apoptotic factors may contribute to maintain a balance between growth and death of cells and may be one of the important factors deciding whether a cell would follow a proliferative pathway or an apoptotic pathway.
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PMID:Induction of cell proliferation and apoptosis: dependence on the dose of the inducer. 1038 51


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