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)

In a previously published report (Kurland, J. F., Kodym, R., Story, M. D., Spurgers, K. B., McDonnell, T. J., and Meyn, R. E. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 45380-45386), we described the NF kappa B status for two murine B-cell lymphoma cell lines, LY-as (apoptosis-sensitive) and LY-ar (apoptosis-refractory) and provided evidence that NF kappa B1 (p50) homodimers contribute to the expression of Bcl-2 in the LY-ar line. In the present study, we investigated the upstream signals leading to p50 homodimer activation and Bcl-2 expression. We found that in LY-ar cells, ERK1 and ERK2 were constitutively phosphorylated, whereas LY-as cells had no detectable ERK1 or ERK2 phosphorylation. Treatment of LY-ar cells with the MEK inhibitors PD 98059, U0126, and PD 184352 led to a loss of phosphorylated ERK1 and ERK2, a reversal of nuclear p50 homodimer DNA binding, and a decrease in Bcl-2 protein expression. Similarly, activation of the MEK/ERK pathway in LY-as cells by phorbol ester led to Bcl-2 expression that could be blocked by PD 98059. Furthermore, treatment of LY-ar cells with tumor necrosis factor-alpha, an I kappa B kinase activator, did not alter the suppressive effect of PD 98059 on p50 homodimer activity, suggesting an I kappa B kinase-independent pathway for p50 homodimer activation. Lastly, all three MEK inhibitors sensitized LY-ar cells to radiation-induced apoptosis. We conclude that the MEK/ERK pathway acts upstream of p50 homodimer activity and Bcl-2 expression in this B-cell lymphoma cell system and suggest that the use of MEK inhibitors could be useful clinically in combination with ionizing radiation to treat lymphoid malignancies.
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PMID:The MEK/ERK pathway acts upstream of NF kappa B1 (p50) homodimer activity and Bcl-2 expression in a murine B-cell lymphoma cell line. MEK inhibition restores radiation-induced apoptosis. 1280 33

An internal tandem duplication (ITD) of the juxtamembrane (JM) domain of FLT3 (FLT3/ITD) has been found in 20% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is correlated with leukocytosis and a poor prognosis. Here, we compared the antiapoptotic effects of wild-type FLT3 (WtFLT3) and FLT3/ITD in terms of the regulation of Bcl-2 family members. In a murine myeloid cell line, 32D, interleukin-3 (IL-3) deprivation induced apoptosis following the down-regulation of Bcl-XL and the dephosphorylation of Bad. However, the expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, Bak, and Mcl-1 were unchanged. In WtFLT3-transfected 32D (WtFLT3-32D) cells, FLT3 ligand (FL) stimulation did not restore the down-regulation of Bcl-XL but maintained the phosphorylation of Bad. Combined treatment with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, LY294002, and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor, PD98059, dephosphorylated Bad and induced apoptosis in WtFLT3-32D cells stimulated with FL. Induction of nonphosphorylated Bad induced remarkable apoptosis. These findings suggest that the FL stimulation is associated with antiapoptosis through Bad phosphorylation. On the other hand, FLT3/ITD-transfected 32D (FLT3/ITD-32D) cells survived in an IL-3-or FL-deprived state. Furthermore, the dephosphorylation of Bad using LY294002 and PD98059 was insufficient for apoptosis, and the down-regulation of Bcl-XL using antisense treatment was needed to induce apoptosis. FLT3 kinase inhibitor, AG1296, alone not only dephosphorylated Bad but also down-regulated Bcl-XL, leading FLT3/ITD-32D cells into apoptosis. These findings suggest that the antiapoptotic pathways from FLT3/ITD are more divergent than those from WtFLT3 and may represent targets for drug discovery with the potential of inducing selective cell death of human leukemia cells.
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PMID:Different antiapoptotic pathways between wild-type and mutated FLT3: insights into therapeutic targets in leukemia. 1284 96

To investigate the role of thrombin in regulating apoptosis, we have used CCl39 cells, a fibroblast cell line in which thrombin-induced cell proliferation has been extensively studied. Withdrawal of serum from CCl39 cells resulted in a rapid apoptotic response that was completely prevented by the inclusion of thrombin. The protective effect of thrombin was reversed by pertussis toxin, suggesting that cell-survival signalling pathways are activated via a G(i) or G(o) heterotrimeric GTPase. Serum-withdrawal-induced death required de novo gene expression and was preceded by the rapid de novo expression of the pro-apoptotic 'BH3-only' protein Bim (Bcl-2-interacting mediator of cell death). Thrombin strongly inhibited the up-regulation of both Bim protein and Bim mRNA. The ability of thrombin to repress Bim expression, and to protect cells from apoptosis, was reversed by U0126, a MEK1/2 [MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) or ERK (extracellular-signal-regulated kinase) 1/2] inhibitor, or LY294002, a phosphoinositide 3'-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, suggesting that both the Raf-->MEK-->ERK1/2 and PI3K pathways co-operate to repress Bim and promote cell survival. A PAR1p (protease-activated receptor 1 agonist peptide) was also able to protect cells from serum-withdrawal-induced apoptosis, suggesting that thrombin acts via PAR1 to prevent apoptosis.
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PMID:Thrombin inhibits Bim (Bcl-2-interacting mediator of cell death) expression and prevents serum-withdrawal-induced apoptosis via protease-activated receptor 1. 1284 49

Granulocytes and mononuclear phagocytes develop from the same myeloid progenitor cells in the bone marrow via distinct differentiation pathways. Yet, it is known that mature macrophages are more resistant than granulocytes to spontaneous apoptosis in cultures without hematopoietic growth factors. This fact suggests that the development of resistance to apoptosis during myeloid differentiation is differentially regulated by a lineage-dependent mechanism. Using primary cultures of human bone marrow cells, we now report that induction of monocytic differentiation into mature macrophages with M-CSF was correlated with a steady and gradual increase in the levels of X-chromosome-linked inhibitor of apotosis (XIAP) and Bcl-2, while induction of granulocytic differentiation with G-CSF had no significant effects on the expression of these proteins. Consistent with this, NF-kappaB activation is linked to monocytic, but not granulocytic differentiation, while ERK or STAT3 activation is not lineage-dependent. Blockade of NF-kappaB activation in mature macrophages resulted in a marked decrease in the levels of XIAP and Bcl-2, which was accompanied with cell death through an apoptotic mechanism. Thus lineage-dependent activation of NF-kappaB is responsible at least in part for the resistance of mature macrophages to 'spontaneous' apoptosis in vitro.
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PMID:Lineage-dependent NF-kappaB activation contributes to the resistance of human macrophages to apoptosis. 1287 53

The activated insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) protects cells from a wide range of apoptotic stimuli. Hyperglycemia promotes the intracellular generation of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide, both of which have been linked to the activation of the mitochondrial apoptosis program. Here, we report for the first time that ligand activation of the IGF-1R protects normal human mesangial cells and SV40 murine mesangial cells from the glycol-oxidant-induced apoptosis program. The IGF-1R antiapoptosis program was dependent on the recruitment of both Akt/PKB and the ERK subfamily of mitogen-activated protein kinases. IGF-1 treatment also protected the redox potential of mesangial cells maintained at high ambient glucose concentration, by inhibiting the generation of reactive oxygen intermediates and preserving mitochondrial transmembrane potential. IGF-1R survival signals targeted the Bcl-2 family of proteins to protect against glucose-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress. IGF-1-treated cells exhibited a decrease in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio; increased phosphorylation/inactivation of Bad at Ser112 and Ser136; inhibition of cytochrome c release; perturbations directionally opposed to the initiation of the apoptosis program. In addition, we demonstrate IGF-1R-activated ERK signaling modules phosphorylate Ser112 of the mitochondrial Bad protein, establishing a direct link between surface IGF-1R and the survival program in mitochondria. Our findings indicate that in mesangial cells maintained at high ambient glucose concentration, IGF-1 activates a survival program that maintains the integrity of mitochondria and prevents the expression of the genetic program for apoptosis.
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PMID:IGF-1 inhibits the mitochondrial apoptosis program in mesangial cells exposed to high glucose. 1287 69

c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is activated when cells are exposed to noxious stimuli. The role of JNK in apoptosis is subject to considerable debate; for example, JNK activation may promote or inhibit apoptosis depending on the cell type and stimulus involved. These conflicting results have arisen in part because few studies have successfully separated JNK activation from the primary stress-induced damage or from other stress-induced signalling pathways. Here we describe a conditional mutant, deltaMEKK1:ER*, which allows selective activation of the JNK cascade in the absence of any cellular stress. Activation of deltaMEKK1:ER* in CC139 fibroblasts resulted in the rapid and sustained activation of JNK without activating ERK or p38 or promoting IkappaBalpha phosphorylation. Activation of deltaMEKK1:ER* caused a reversible halt in cell growth but failed to induce apoptosis. In contrast, treatment of cells with LY294002, to inhibit phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), caused downregulation of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 and allowed deltaMEKK1:ER* to elicit a robust apoptotic response characterized by activation of Bax and caspases. This PI3K-inhibitable, JNK-induced death response was not impeded, but actually accelerated, by cycloheximide. This suggests that JNK-induced activation of Bax and cell death does not require the upregulation of pro-death genes such as Bim or FasL, but rather proceeds through pre-existing components. However, if the PI3K cell survival pathway is not inhibited, even sustained activation of JNK exerts no overt proapoptotic effect in CC139 cells.
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PMID:Selective activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway fails to elicit Bax activation or apoptosis unless the phosphoinositide 3'-kinase (PI3K) pathway is inhibited. 1287 14

Bcl-2 is an antiapoptotic protein expressed in a wide variety of cell types. We have found that overexpression of bcl-2 in PC12 neural crest tumor cells leads to increased expression of neural differentiation-associated genes and decreased expression of proliferation-related genes. Culture growth rate decreases as well. Overexpression of bcl-2 also leads to increased expression of TrkA and increased phosphorylation of signal transductants in, albeit not specific for, the TrkA-MEK-ERK pathway. Blocking of NGF-mediated signaling through TrkA prevents Bcl-2-associated expression changes in differentiation-associated genes, raising the possibility that Bcl-2 mediates induction of neural differentiation through TrkA/NGF signaling.
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PMID:Bcl-2 mediates induction of neural differentiation. 1293 11

It is believed that bisphosphonates (BPs) induce apoptosis in cells such as myeloma cells, as they inhibit prenylation of G-proteins. However, the details of the apoptosis-inducing mechanism remain obscure. In the present study, we attempted to clarify the mechanism by which YM529, a new bisphosphonate, induces apoptosis. YM529 induced cell deaths in HL60 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. At that time, we observed an increase in Caspase-3 activity and morphological fragmentation of the nuclei. We could confirm that these cell deaths were evidence of apoptosis. The apoptosis induced by YM529 was not inhibited by the addition of farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), but was by the addition of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP). When we examined the survival signals at the time of apoptotic induction, we also observed that the administration of YM529 caused a remarkable decrease in the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). However, other survival signals such as nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB), protein kinase B (Akt), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38) exhibited no change. In addition, no quantitative change was observed in Bcl-2, which is an anti-apoptosis protein. It was also observed that apoptosis was induced when U0126, an MEK inhibitor, was added to the cells to inhibit ERK. These results suggest that YM529, the new bisphosphonate, induced apoptosis when inhibit GGPP synthase and consequently decreased the levels of phosphorylated ERK, which is a survival signal; moreover, during this process, there is no influence on NF-kappaB, Akt, p38, and Bcl-2. The results of this study also suggest that YM529 can be used as an anticancer agent, in addition to its use as a therapeutic agent to treat osteoporosis.
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PMID:A new bisphosphonate, YM529 induces apoptosis in HL60 cells by decreasing phosphorylation of single survival signal ERK. 1367 34

Anticancer drugs docetaxel and vinorelbine suppress cell growth by altering microtubule assembly and activating the proapoptotic signal pathway. Vinorelbine and docetaxel have been approved for treating several advanced cancers. However, their efficacy in the management of advanced hormone-refractory prostate cancer remains to be clarified. Microtubule damage by some anticancer drugs can activate the ERK survival pathway, which conversely compromises chemotherapeutic efficacy. We analyzed the effect of ERK inhibitors PD98059 and U0126 on vinorelbine- and docetaxel-induced cell growth suppression of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells. In androgen-independent C-81 LNCaP cells, inhibition of ERK by PD98059, but not U0126, plus docetaxel resulted in enhanced growth suppression by an additional 20% compared to the sum of each agent alone (p < 0.02). The combination treatment of docetaxel plus PD98059 also increased cellular apoptosis, which was in part due to the inactivation of Bcl-2 by increasing phosphorylated Bcl-2 by more than 6-fold and Bax expression by 3-fold over each agent alone. At these dosages, docetaxel alone caused only marginal phosphorylation of Bcl-2 (10%). Docetaxel plus U0126 had only 20% added effect on Bcl-2 phosphorylation compared to docetaxel alone. Nevertheless, both U0126 and PD98059 exhibited an enhanced effect on docetaxel-induced growth suppression in PC-3 cells. No enhanced effect was observed for vinorelbine plus PD98059 or U0126. Thus, the combination therapy of docetaxel plus PD98059 may represent a new anticancer strategy, requiring lower drug dosages compared to docetaxel monotherapy. This may lower the cytotoxicity and enhance tumor suppression in vivo. This finding of a combination effect could be of potential clinical importance in treating hormone-refractory prostate cancer.
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PMID:ERK inhibitor PD98059 enhances docetaxel-induced apoptosis of androgen-independent human prostate cancer cells. 1450 50

Using morphological and molecular approaches, we characterized cisplatin-induced cell necrosis and apoptosis in rat kidney. Male Sprague-Dawley rats ( n=5 per group) received a single intraperitoneal injection of either cisplatin (5 mg/kg) or saline, and were killed on day 5. Functionally, cisplatin-treated rats developed polyuric acute renal failure. Morphologically, kidneys of cisplatin-treated rats showed overt tubular necrosis associated with apoptosis in the corticomedullary junction. Cell necrosis was segment-specific and was distributed in radial fashion at the corticomedullary junction. The apoptosis was limited to discrete cells in apparently intact tubules in the vicinity of the necrosed tubules. The apoptotic changes were confirmed by TUNEL (TdT-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling) and staining for cleaved caspase-3. Analysis of outer medullary tissue for apoptosis-related molecules by RNase protection assay revealed a significant increase in the expression of pro-apoptotic mRNAs (caspases 1, 2, and 8, and Bax) in cisplatin-treated rats. On the other hand, the expression of mRNA for the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 did not change, resulting in a decrease in relative ratio of Bcl-2/Bax, and thus favoring apoptosis. The above changes were paralleled by a marked increase in caspase-3 precursor, the executioner protease. Furthermore, these pro-apoptotic molecular changes were associated with a 3-fold increase in the activity of JNK1 in the outer medulla, but not in the cortex, of cisplatin-treated rat kidneys, localizing to the site of maximal apoptosis. Upregulation of JNK1 activity in the outer medulla was not accompanied by changes in the activities of ERK or p38 kinase. In conclusion, these data suggest that cisplatin-induced apoptotic cell death in native kidney may be mediated by cooperative activation of the JNK1 pathway and Bax in the outer medulla.
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PMID:Cellular and molecular studies on cisplatin-induced apoptotic cell death in rat kidney. 1455 73


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