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 in vitro effects of interferon-alpha (IFN) on levels of secreted interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha), and nuclear matrix proteins (NMP) were examined in ESKOL, a B-lymphoblastoid cell line resembling hairy cell leukemia (HCL). IFN enhances differentiation in ESKOL, decreases TNF alpha levels, decreases apoptosis, increases IL-6 levels, and down regulates the expression of several oncogenes. Vesnarinone (Ves), a TNF alpha repressor, lowers TNF-alpha and decreases apoptosis in the same cell line. ESKOL exhibits enhanced apoptosis and reduced B-cell lymphomas (Bcl-2) levels over WIL-2. IL-6 and TNFalpha have been shown to decrease and increase apoptosis in B-cells respectively; however, treatment of ESKOL with these cytokines had no significant effect on apoptosis. We suggest that IFN decreases apoptosis by mechanisms involving enhanced IL-6 and Bcl-2 levels, decreased TNF alpha and the down regulation of apoptotic oncogenes, including c-myc.
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PMID:Interferon-alpha 2b and vesnarinone influence levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, apoptosis, or interleukin 6 in ESKOL, a hairy cell leukemic cell line. A potential cytokine and oncogene relationship regulating apoptosis is suggested. 1183 86

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL/APO-2L) is a member of the TNF family that promotes apoptosis by binding to the transmembrane receptors TRAIL-R1/DR4 and TRAIL-R2/DR5. Its cytotoxic activity is relatively selective to the human tumor cell lines without much effect on the normal cells. Hence, it exerts an antitumor activity without causing toxicity, as apparent by studies with several xenograft models. This review discusses the intracellular mechanisms by which TRAIL induces apoptosis. The major pathway of its action proceeds through the formation of DISC and activation of caspase-8. The apoptotic processes, therefore, follow two signaling pathways, namely the mitochondrial-independent activation of caspase-3, and mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis due to cleavage of BID by caspase-8, the formation of apoptosomes, and activation of caspase-9 and the downstream caspases. Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L) have no effect on TRAIL-induced apoptosis in lymphoid cells, whereas these genes block or delay apoptosis in nonlymphoid cancer cells. TRAIL participates in cytotoxicity mediated by activated NK cells, monocytes, and some cytotoxic T cells. Hence, TRAIL may prove to be an effective antitumor agent. In addition, it may enhance the effectiveness of treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs and irradiation. Nontagged Apo-2L/TRAIL does not cause hepatotoxicity in monkeys and chimpanzees and in normal human hepatocytes. Thus, nontagged Apo-2L/TRAIL appears to be a promising new candidate for use in the treatment of cancer.
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PMID:TRAIL/Apo-2L: mechanisms and clinical applications in cancer. 1177 36

Proteome analysis of supernatant of isolated mitochondria exposed to recombinant tBid, a proapoptotic Bcl-2 member, revealed the presence of the serine protease Omi, also called HtrA2. This release was prevented in mitochondria derived from Bcl-2-transgenic mice. Release of Omi under apoptotic conditions was confirmed in vivo in livers from mice injected with agonistic anti-Fas antibodies and was prevented in livers from Bcl-2 transgenic mice. Omi release also occurs in apoptotic dying but not in necrotic dying fibrosarcoma L929 cells, treated with anti-Fas antibodies and TNF, respectively. The amino acid sequence reveals the presence of an XIAP interaction motif at the N-terminus of mature Omi. We demonstrate an interaction between endogeneous Omi and recombinant XIAP. Furthermore we show that endogenous Omi is involved in enhanced activation of caspases in cytosolic extracts.
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PMID:The serine protease Omi/HtrA2 is released from mitochondria during apoptosis. Omi interacts with caspase-inhibitor XIAP and induces enhanced caspase activity. 1180 71

The destruction of CD4 T cells in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with activation of apoptotic programs, partly mediated by death receptors. The role of CD95L/CD95 in depletion of patients' CD4 T cells is well documented, but the possible contribution of the tumor necrosis factor/tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF/TNFR) pathway has not been examined. In this study, we found that both TNFR1 and TNFR2 induced marked apoptosis in peripheral T cells from HIV-infected persons, involving both CD4 and CD8 T cells. Longitudinal follow-up of HIV(+) patients suggests an association between the in vivo evolution of CD4 T-cell numbers and variations in susceptibility to TNFR-induced apoptosis. Analysis of molecular mechanisms involved showed that it was not related to altered ex vivo expression of TNFR1-associated death domain, receptor interacting protein, or TNFR-associated factor 2. Susceptibility to TNFR-mediated apoptosis was rather related to Bcl-2 expression, because patients' T cells expressing high levels of Bcl-2 were completely protected from TNFR1- and TNFR2-induced cell death, whereas T cells expressing normal levels of Bcl-2 were not protected in patients in contrast to controls. Early recruitment of caspase-8 and caspase-3 is needed to transduce the apoptotic signals, and expression of both caspases in their active form was detected in blood T cells from HIV(+) patients, whereas it was hardly detected in controls. Moreover, ligation of TNFRs induced increased activation of both caspases in patients' T cells. Together these data demonstrate that exacerbated TNFR-mediated cell death of T cells from HIV-infected individuals is associated with both alteration of Bcl-2 expression and activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3 and may contribute to the pathogenesis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
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PMID:Increased sensitivity of T lymphocytes to tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1)- and TNFR2-mediated apoptosis in HIV infection: relation to expression of Bcl-2 and active caspase-8 and caspase-3. 1186 Dec 82

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) plays a role in mammalian ovarian follicular development, steroidogenesis, ovulation, luteolysis, and atresia, but the exact mechanism of TNF alpha action is not completely understood. Induction of apoptosis and suppression of steroidogenesis by TNF alpha in primary preovulatory rat and human granulosa cells, as well as, in human granulosa cells immortalized by mutated p53, were characterized in the present work. Dexamethasone (Dex) and hydrocortisone efficiently suppressed TNF alpha-induced apoptosis in granulosa cells. TNF alpha dramatically reduced intracellular levels of Bcl-2, while Dex abrogated this reduction. TNF alpha reduced considerably intracellular levels of StAR protein, a key regulating factor in steroidogenesis. This reduction can be explained only in part by elimination of cells through apoptosis, since loss of steroidogenic capacity was much higher and faster than the rate and extent of loss of cell viability induced by TNF alpha, suggesting independent mechanisms for TNF alpha-induction of apoptosis and TNF alpha-suppression of steroidogenesis.
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PMID:Induction of apoptosis in granulosa cells by TNF alpha and its attenuation by glucocorticoids involve modulation of Bcl-2. 1205 39

Cell number abnormalities are frequent in renal diseases, and range from the hypercellularity of postinfectious glomerulonephritis to the cell depletion of chronic renal atrophy. Recent research has shown that apoptosis and its regulatory mechanisms contribute to cell number regulation in the kidney. The role of apoptosis ranges from induction to repair and progression of renal injury. Death ligands and receptors, such as TNF and FasL, proapoptotic and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members and caspases have all been shown to participate in apoptosis regulation in the course of renal injury. These proteins represent potential therapeutic targets, which should be further explored.
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PMID:Contribution of apoptotic cell death to renal injury. 1206 48

The TNF-like ligands APRIL and BLyS are close relatives and share the capacity to bind the receptors TACI and BCMA. BLyS has been shown to play an important role in B cell homeostasis and autoimmunity, but the biological role of APRIL remains less well defined. Analysis of T cells revealed an activation-dependent increase in APRIL mRNA expression. We therefore generated mice expressing APRIL as a transgene in T cells. These mice appeared normal and showed no signs of B cell hyperplasia. Transgenic T cells revealed a greatly enhanced survival in vitro as well as enhanced survival of staphylococcal enterotoxin B-reactive CD4+ T cells in vivo, which both directly correlate with elevated Bcl-2 levels. Analysis of humoral responses to T cell-dependent antigens in the transgenic mice indicated that APRIL affects only IgM but not IgG responses. In contrast, T cell-independent type 2 (TI-2) humoral response was enhanced in APRIL transgenic mice. As TACI was previously reported to be indispensable for TI-2 antibody formation, these results suggest a role for APRIL/TACI interactions in the generation of this response. Taken together, our data indicate that APRIL is involved in the induction and/or maintenance of T and B cell responses.
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PMID:APRIL modulates B and T cell immunity. 1207 Mar 6

Changes in cytoskeletal structures have been investigated during apoptosis of epithelial HeLa cells induced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Shape and surface cell activity were investigated by time-lapse video microscopy, and changes of the cytoskeletal structure were studied by immune fluorescent microscopy. Addition of TNF-alpha to HeLa cell culture caused early disruption of the actin cytoskeleton and vinculin-containing focal contacts, keratin filaments, and microtubules. Rounding of cells, general blebbing, and nuclear fragmentation were observed at the terminal apoptotic stages. Actomyosin complex inhibitors, H7 and HA1077, suppressed blebbing (but not cell rounding) and activated the development of apoptosis. The latter suggests that in contrast to blebbing the general rounding does not depend on increased contractility of actomyosin cortex. These cytoskeletal inhibitors accelerated the development of apoptosis of HeLa cells and increased sensitivity of HeLa-Bcl-2 cells (transfected with DNA encoding antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2) to TNF-induced apoptosis. Damage of cytoskeletal structures significantly attenuated antiapoptotic activity of Bcl-2 in the HeLa-Bcl-2 cells. It is suggested that the stimulation of apoptosis by cytoskeletal inhibitors may be attributed to the altered distribution of cell organelles, especially, mitochondria.
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PMID:Effects of the inhibitors of dynamics of cytoskeletal structures on the development of apoptosis induced by the tumor necrosis factor. 1213 70

Kupffer cells play an important role in keeping liver from occurrence of tumors. Apoptosis is thought to be a major mechanism responsible for the anti-tumor function of Kupffer cells. Previous studies have mainly concentrated on the direct contact and interaction between Kupffer cells and tumor cells. The present experiment is to investigate the apoptotic pathway in tumor induced by culture supernatant from activated Kupffer cells. The levels of Bax, Bcl-2 and iNOS were analyzed in an in vivo mouse tumor model, which was treated with culture supernatant from activated Kupffer cells. The results showed that the expression of Bax significantly increased while the expression of Bcl-2 decreased when tumor cells were treated with culture supernatants from activated Kupffer cells. The alteration of Bax and Bcl-2 levels resulted in an increase in the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2, which had negative correlation with the size of tumor and positive correlation with the expression of iNOS. The expression of TNF alpha and the occurrence of apoptosis were also increased in tumor treated with culture supernatants from activated Kupffer cells, compared with those which received no treatment. In conclusion, culture supernatants from activated Kupffer cells were able to change the balance between Bax and Bcl-2 in favor of the former. The ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 is a useful index to evaluate tumor apoptosis induced by Kupffer cells. Our experiment also suggests that alteration of the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 may result from increased levels of iNOS and TNF alpha.
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PMID:Negative correlation between the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 and the size of tumor treated by culture supernatants from Kupffer cells. 1219 74

Apoptosis plays an important role during embryonic development. Apoptotic cell death is executed by caspases and can be regulated by the Bcl-2 family of genes. Ribonuclease protection assay was used to investigate the expression of selected apoptosis-related genes of the Bcl-2 family, pro-apoptotic Bax, Bad and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, during differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells (ES) mediated by all-trans-retinoic acid. The mRNA expression of caspase 3, caspase 6 and certain pro-inflammatory cytokines was also investigated simultaneously. ES cells exposed to 1 microM all-trans-retinoic acid on day 8, 9 and 10 of differentiation revealed increased expression of Bax and Bad compared to the vehicle-treated cells. No effect on Bcl-2 mRNA was noted after all-trans-retinoic acid treatment. Increased mRNA expression of caspase 3 and caspase 6 in all-trans-retinoic acid-exposed ES cells suggested that caspases play an important role in retinoic acid-mediated apoptosis during ES differentiation. Increase in the expression of TNF alpha and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) was noted in retinoic acid-treated cells on day 14. Significant increase observed in interferon gamma inducing factor (IGIF/IL-18) mRNA expression in all-trans-retinoic acid-treated cells on day 14 and 17 did not translate to increased INF gamma expression. No change in the expression of other pro-inflammatory cytokines was noted with all-trans-retinoic acid treatment. The function of TNF alpha, IGIF/IL-18 and MIF in all-trans-retinoic acid-treated cells during ES differentiation and apoptosis is still speculatory. Results suggested that RA-mediated apoptosis during neural differentiation of ES cells involves up-regulation of caspase 3, caspase 6, Bad, and Bax.
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PMID:Expression of selected apoptosis related genes, MIF, IGIF and TNF alpha, during retinoic acid-induced neural differentiation in murine embryonic stem cells. 1220 51


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