Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P10415 (Bcl-2)
 33,771 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The antiproliferative effect of human bcl-2 gene transferred to E1A + c-Ha-ras-transformed rat embryo fibroblasts, which are characterized by the absence of cell cycle checkpoints after damage and by a high proapoptotic sensitivity was studied. Ionizing irradiation, adriamycin treatment, and serum starvation were shown to induce G1/S arrest in E1A + c-Ha-ras-transformants. Bcl-2 antiproliferative effect in E1A + c-Ha-ras-transformants was not associated with alterations in Cdk2, cyclin E and A contents. G1/S arrest following irradiation or serum starvation was accompanied by a decrease in kinase activity associated with cyclin E-cdk2, whereas G1/S arrest in tetraploid subpopulation after adriamycin treatment did not correlate with a decrease in cyclin E-associated kinase activity. Cyclin A-associated kinase activity did not decrease after any used treatment. Transfection of bcl-2 in E1A + c-Ha-ras-transformants resulted in elevated expression of cyclin-cdk complexes inhibitor p21/Waf-1, but not p27/Kip. Damaging agents caused p21/Waf-1 and p27/Kip accumulation, but bcl-2 overexpression did not restore functions of these inhibitors, since p21/Waf-1 and p27/Kip were unable to suppress cyclin-cdk complexes activity after damage. These results suggest that bcl-2 transfection in E1A + c-Ha-ras-transformants is likely to result in irradiation- or serum starvation-induced G1/S arrest accomplished by a selective decrease in cyclin E-associated kinase activity. Adriamycin-induced G1/S arrest seems to be realized via cyclin-cdk complexes activity-independent way involving antiproliferative targets downstream of cyclin E-cdk2 and cyclin A-cdk2 complexes.
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PMID:[Changes in the activity of cyclin-kinase complexes governing cell transition from G1 phase to DNA replication phase in E1A + c-Ha-ras transformants transfected with the bcl-2 gene]. 1272 79

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a major survival factor for malignant plasma cells involved in multiple myeloma. Using an RNase protection assay, we looked for gene expression of 10 anti- and proapoptotic Bcl-2-family proteins in 12 IL-6-dependent human myeloma cell lines (HMCL). A high Mcl-1 gene expression was found in all HMCLs and the other genes were variably expressed. Out of the 10 Bcl-2-family members, only the Mcl-1 gene was regulated by IL-6. Upon starvation of IL-6, Mcl-1 gene expression decreased in association with myeloma cell apoptosis and was upregulated after adding IL-6 again in association with myeloma cell survival. A constitutive Mcl-1 expression was induced with an Mcl-1-GFP retrovirus in two IL-6-dependent HMCLs. The Mcl-1 HMCLs have a marked reduced apoptosis upon IL-6 starvation compared to HMCLs transduced with control GFP retrovirus and may grow without adding IL-6. These data emphasize the major role of Mcl-1 antiapoptotic protein in the IL-6-induced survival of human myeloma cells.
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PMID:A major role for Mcl-1 antiapoptotic protein in the IL-6-induced survival of human myeloma cells. 1277 46

Skeletal muscle atrophy is a common feature in alcoholism that affects up to two-thirds of alcohol misusers, and women appear to be particularly susceptible. There is also some evidence to suggest that malnutrition exacerbates the effects of alcohol on muscle. However, the mechanisms responsible for the myopathy remain elusive, and some studies suggest that acetaldehyde, rather than alcohol, is the principal pathogenic perturbant. Previous reports on rats dosed acutely with ethanol (<24 h) have suggested that increased proto-oncogene expression (i.e., c-myc) may be a causative process, possibly via activating preapoptotic or transcriptional pathways. We hypothesized that 1) increases in c-myc mRNA levels also occur in muscle exposed chronically to alcohol, 2) muscle of female rats is more sensitive than that from male rats, 3) raising acetaldehyde will also increase c-myc, 4) prior starvation will cause further increases in c-myc mRNA expression in response to ethanol, and 5) other genes involved in apoptosis (i.e., p53 and Bcl-2) would also be affected by alcohol. To test this, we measured c-myc mRNA levels in skeletal muscle of rats dosed either chronically (6-7 wk; ethanol as 35% of total dietary energy) or acutely (2.5 h; ethanol as 75 mmol/kg body wt ip) with ethanol. All experiments were carried out in male Wistar rats (approximately 0.1-0.15 kg body wt) except the study that examined gender susceptibility in male and female rats. At the end of the studies, rats were killed, and c-myc, p53, and Bcl-2 mRNA was analyzed in skeletal muscle by RT-PCR with an endogenous internal standard, GAPDH. The results showed that 1) in male rats fed ethanol chronically, there were no increases in c-myc mRNA; 2) increases, however, occurred in c-myc mRNA in muscle from female rats fed ethanol chronically; 3) raising endogenous acetaldehyde with cyanamide increased c-myc mRNA in acute studies; 4) starvation per se increased c-myc mRNA levels and at 1 day potentiated the acute effects of ethanol, indicative of a sensitization response; 5) the only effect seen with p53 mRNA levels was a decrease in muscle of rats starved for 1 day compared with fed rats, and there was no statistically significant effect on Bcl-2 mRNA in any of the experimental conditions. The increases in c-myc may well represent a preapoptotic effect, or even a nonspecific cellular stress response to alcohol and/or acetaldehyde. These data are important in our understanding of a common muscle pathology induced by alcohol.
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PMID:Acute and chronic effects of alcohol exposure on skeletal muscle c-myc, p53, and Bcl-2 mRNA expression. 1287 71

The effects of Dox (Dox), paclitaxel (Taxol), and serum starvation on the regulation of XIAP (X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis), Bcl-2 phosphorylation, and apoptosis were evaluated in human H460 non-small cell lung cancer cells. Protein kinases that responded to these treatments as prosurvival elements in signal transduction were identified by simultaneously screening phosphorylation of protein kinases in H460 cells cultured in serum-free medium or treated with Dox. We demonstrated that Dox and Taxol induced apoptosis through down-regulation of XIAP and phosphorylation of Bcl-2 in a concentration-dependent manner without changing expression of Bcl-xL in H460 cells. These effects were paralleled by activation of caspase-3 and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase protein. We identified that serum starvation and Dox reduced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase (MEK), protein kinase C (PKC) alpha/beta and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase. The MEK-specific inhibitor U0126 or PKC inhibitor staurosporine (STP) also down-regulated XIAP expression and induced apoptosis. Thus, our data suggest that apoptosis and down-regulation of XIAP induced by Dox exposure or serum starvation may be mediated through inactivation of the MEK/ERK and PKCalpha/beta pathways. In support of this we demonstrated that the cytotoxic effects of Dox when combined with U0126 or STP were enhanced, i.e., synergistic cytotoxic activities were demonstrated. The synergistic interaction of U0126 or STP with Dox was sequence- and concentration-dependent.
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PMID:Inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase enhances chemotherapeutic effects on H460 human non-small cell lung cancer cells through activation of apoptosis. 1288 37

Squamous cell carcinoma (SSC) is the most frequent malignant tumor of the oral cavity. Aberration of programmed cell death is thought to participate in cancer. Using specific antibodies a study of the expression and subcellular distribution of Bcl-2, BAX, caspase-3 and cytochrome c in normal human keratinocytes and mouth carcinoma slowly (HN) and rapidly growing (KB) cells has been carried out. In carcinoma cells depressed expression of BAX, presence in the cytosol of procaspase-3 and absence in this fraction of cytochrome c have been found. PGE2 treatment prevented cell growth depression induced by pro-apoptotic serum starvation both in control and carcinoma cell cultures. It is also shown that PGE2 promoted both in keratinocytes and KB cells expression of Bcl-2, which was accompanied in the first case by increase in its mitochondrial level. These results indicate that in carcinoma cells there is an apparent down regulation of the apoptotic cascade as compared to normal keratinocytes. Thus the possibility that down regulation of apoptosis is associated with promotion of tumor development in the oral mucosa cells seems to be supported by these observations.
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PMID:Expression and subcellular distribution of Bcl-2 and BAX proteins in serum-starved human keratinocytes and mouth carcinoma epidermoid cultures. 1451 71

SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were cultured for up to three serial passages in the presence of the copper chelator triethylene tetramine (Trien). The copper-depleted neuroblastoma cell line obtained showed decreased activities of the copper enzymes Cu, Zn super-oxide dismutase and cytochrome c oxidase with concomitant increases in reactive oxygen species. Mitochondrial antioxidants (Mn superoxide dismutase and Bcl-2)were up-regulated. Overexpression and activation of p53 were early responses, leading to an increase in p21. Eventually, copper-depleted cells detached from the monolayer and underwent apoptosis. Activation of upstream caspase-9, but not caspase-8, suggested that apoptosis proceeds via a mitochondrial pathway, followed by caspase-3 activation. The addition of copper sulfate to the copper-depleted cells restored copper enzymes, normalized antioxidant levels and improved cell viability. We conclude that prolonged copper starvation in these replicating cells leads to mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress and ultimately, apoptosis.
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PMID:Prolonged copper depletion induces expression of antioxidants and triggers apoptosis in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. 1451 38

Serum starvation has recently been shown to cause cell death of cardiac fibroblasts and increased synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins in the surviving cells. In the present study, events occurring in the dying cells were investigated. Cultured adult rat cardiac fibroblasts were exposed to serum-free medium. Cell number was measured using a Coulter Counter Channelyzer. The activity of the extracellular signal-regulated or mitogen-activated protein kinases (ERK1/2, p42/p44(MAPK)), the p38 kinase (p38(MAPK)), the c-Jun N-terminal kinases (p46/p54(JNK)), and Akt kinase was assessed by Western blotting and phospho-specific antibodies. Caspase 7-cleavage was investigated by Western blotting and specific antibodies. Caspase 3 activity was measured by detection of its cleaved substrate. The appearance of necrosis was studied by inclusion of trypan blue. Apoptosis was assessed by DNA ladder formation. The mRNA expression of Bax and Bcl-2 was investigated by quantitative real-time PCR. Serum withdrawal led to the death of 26% of cultured isolated cardiac fibroblasts during the first 5 h. The activity of the p42/ p44(MAPK) as well as of Akt kinase was partially reduced. For p46/p54(JNK) and p38(MAPK), elevated phosphorylation was measured. Inhibition of p46/p54(JNK) and p38(MAPK) activity by SB202190 did not affect the decrease in cell number. Cleavage of caspase 7 was detected after 90 min. However, no activation of caspase 3 was measured. DNA fragmentation was not found after serum depletion. Trypan blue staining, however, was observed in 16% of the cells after 5 h. The mRNA levels of both Bax and Bcl-2 were increased after 30 min. These results indicate the appearance of necrosis during serum starvation in cardiac fibroblasts. However, some processes typical of apoptosis were also detected.
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PMID:Mechanism of cell death of rat cardiac fibroblasts induced by serum depletion. 1457 13

Transformed rat embryo fibroblasts E1A + cHa-ras known to possess high proapoptotic sensitivity and not to be arrested after DNA damage or upon serum starvation, were transfected with bcl-2 gene using calcium-phosphate precipitation method. Triple transformants E1A + cHa-ras + bcl-2 appeared to be protected from damage- and serum depletion-induced apoptosis and to restore cell cycle checkpoint control. Using the method of flow cytometry we have shown that these transformants are arrested in different phases of cell cycle in response to irradiation, adriamycin treatment and serum deprivation. Overexpression of bcl-2 in E1A + cHa-ras-transformed cells entirely suppresses adriamycin-induced apoptosis and significantly reduces the level of apoptosis triggered by irradiation and growth factor withdrawal, as we have revealed by the test of clonogenic survival and electrophoretic analysis of oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Our results have demonstrated, for the first time, that the oncogenic Ras co-immunoprecipitates with transfected Bcl-2 in E1A + cHa-ras + bcl-2 transformed cells after irradiation but not after adriamycin treatment. Bcl-2-Ras complexes were also observed in transformants E1A + cHa-ras + bcl-2 after serum starvation. Taken together, these data suggest that Bcl-2 and Ras interaction might play a crucial role in the cell cycle checkpoints restoration and apoptotic events regulation in transformants E1A + cHa-ras + bcl-2 exposed to DNA-damaging factors or growth factor-deprived.
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PMID:[Anti-apoptotic and antiproliferative effect of bcl-2 gene transferred to E1A+cHa-ras-transformed cells]. 1469 53

During wound healing, myofibroblasts play a central role in matrix formation and wound contraction. At the end of healing, there is evidence that myofibroblasts disappear via apoptotic pathways. Hypertrophic scars are a fibroproliferative disorder that leads to considerable morbidity. It has been postulated that a defect in myofibroblast apoptosis could be responsible for the pathological scar formation, but no evidence exists. We have isolated and cultured human normal wound (Wmyo) and hypertrophic scar (Hmyo) myofibroblasts and compared their basal apoptotic rates and their sensitivity to serum starvation and Fas antibody-induced apoptosis to that obtained for dermal fibroblasts (Fb). A higher rate of apoptosis as evidenced by morphological criteria and a propidium iodide assay was observed for Wmyo in comparison to Fb and Hmyo. These results came along with a low level of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bclx(L) in Wmyo, whereas there was an increase in the level of the pro-apoptotic molecule Bax when compared to the results obtained for Fb and Hmyo. Hmyo showed a higher level of Bcl-2 compared to Fb but no difference in the Bax or Bclx(L) level. After serum starvation, Wmyo revealed an increased apoptotic rate, whereas Hmyo and Fb did not show any difference. Anti-Fas treatment did not modify the levels of apoptosis but strongly increased the cell growth of Hmyo as compared to Wmyo. This is the first study presenting a broad vision of the apoptotic sensitivity of normal and pathological myofibroblasts. These results confirmed the hypothesis of defects in apoptosis and growth during pathological scar formation impeding myofibroblast disappearance at the end of healing.
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PMID:Normal skin wound and hypertrophic scar myofibroblasts have differential responses to apoptotic inductors. 1475 40

Evidence has been accumulating that some estrogen-dependent human breast cancers require estrogen for not only proliferation but also survival. To obtain insights into the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis of breast cancer cells subjected to estrogen starvation or exposed to antiestrogens, we characterized changes in the gene expression profile of MCF-7/BUS human breast cancer cells and revealed a strong induction of Bik, a member of the BH3-only proapoptotic proteins. The Bik mRNA transcript and protein were strongly induced by estrogen starvation or exposure to fulvestrant, a pure antiestrogen that competes with the natural estrogens for binding to the estrogen receptors. This Bik induction preceded apoptotic cell death, which was blocked by zVAD-fmk, a pancaspase inhibitor. Amounts of the Bcl-2-related proteins, such as Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, or Bax, showed only marginal changes in the presence or absence of estrogens or antiestrogens. Suppression of Bik expression by using the small interfering RNA effectively blocked the fulvestrant-induced breast cancer cell apoptosis. These results indicate that Bik is induced in MCF-7/BUS cells in the absence of estrogen signaling and plays a critical role in the antiestrogen-provoked breast cancer cell apoptosis.
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PMID:The Bik BH3-only protein is induced in estrogen-starved and antiestrogen-exposed breast cancer cells and provokes apoptosis. 1498 13


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