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

bcl-2, the prototypic cellular antiapoptotic gene, decreases Sindbis virus replication and Sindbis virus-induced apoptosis in mouse brains, resulting in protection against lethal encephalitis. To investigate potential mechanisms by which Bcl-2 protects against central nervous system Sindbis virus infection, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen to identify Bcl-2-interacting gene products in an adult mouse brain library. We identified a novel 60-kDa coiled-coil protein, Beclin, which we confirmed interacts with Bcl-2 in mammalian cells, using fluorescence resonance energy transfer microscopy. To examine the role of Beclin in Sindbis virus pathogenesis, we constructed recombinant Sindbis virus chimeras that express full-length human Beclin (SIN/beclin), Beclin lacking the putative Bcl-2-binding domain (SIN/beclinDeltaBcl-2BD), or Beclin containing a premature stop codon near the 5' terminus (SIN/beclinstop). The survival of mice infected with SIN/beclin was significantly higher (71%) than the survival of mice infected with SIN/beclinDeltaBcl-2BD (9%) or SIN/beclinstop (7%) (P < 0.001). The brains of mice infected with SIN/beclin had fewer Sindbis virus RNA-positive cells, fewer apoptotic cells, and lower viral titers than the brains of mice infected with SIN/beclinDeltaBcl-2BD or SIN/beclinstop. These findings demonstrate that Beclin is a novel Bcl-2-interacting cellular protein that may play a role in antiviral host defense.
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PMID:Protection against fatal Sindbis virus encephalitis by beclin, a novel Bcl-2-interacting protein. 976 97

Recent studies have shown that nitric oxide (NO) donors can trigger apoptosis of neurons, and growth factors such as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) can protect against NO-induced neuronal cell death. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the possible mechanisms of NO-mediated neuronal apoptosis and the neuroprotective action of these growth factors. Both IGF-1 and bFGF prevented apoptosis induced by NO donors, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) or 3-morpholinosydnonimin (SIN-1) in hippocampal neuronal cultures. Incubation of neurons with SNP induced caspase-3-like activation following downregulation of Bcl-2 and upregulation of Bax protein levels in cultured neurons. Treatment of neurons with a bax antisense oligonucleotide inhibited the caspase-3-like activation and neuronal death induced by SNP. In addition, treatment of neurons with an inhibitor of caspase-3, Ac-DEVD-CHO, together with SNP did not affect the changes in the protein levels, although it inhibited NO-induced cell death. Pretreatment of cultures with either IGF-1 or bFGF prior to NO exposure inhibited caspase-3-like activation together with the changes in Bcl-2 and Bax protein levels. These results suggest that the changes in Bcl-2 and Bax protein levels followed by caspase-3-like activation are a component in the cascade of NO-induced neuronal apoptosis, and that the neuroprotective actions of IGF-1 and bFGF might be due to inhibition of the changes in the protein levels of the Bcl-2 family.
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PMID:Growth factors prevent changes in Bcl-2 and Bax expression and neuronal apoptosis induced by nitric oxide. 1020 97

Exposure of RINm5F cells to interleukin-1beta and to several chemical NO donors such as sodium nitroprusside (SNP), SIN-1 and SNAP induce apoptotic events such as the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, caspase 3 activation, Bcl-2 downregulation and DNA fragmentation. SNP exposure led to transient activation of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) and prolonged protein kinase G (PKG) activation but apoptotic events were not attenuated by inhibition of the sGC/PKG pathway. Prolonged activation of the cGMP pathway by exposing cells to the dibutyryl analogue of cGMP for 12 h induced both apoptosis and necrosis, a response that was abolished by the PKG inhibitor KT5823. These results suggest that NO-induced apoptosis in the pancreatic beta-cell line is independent of acute activation of the cGMP pathway.
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PMID:NO induces a cGMP-independent release of cytochrome c from mitochondria which precedes caspase 3 activation in insulin producing RINm5F cells. 1051 27

Prolactin (PRL) inhibits apoptosis and stimulates proliferation of the PRL-dependent rat Nb2 lymphoma cell line by divergent signaling pathways. Nitric oxide (NO) was recently identified as a downstream regulator of PRL action, and as an inhibitor of apoptosis in immune cells. In the present study, the role of NO in PRL-regulated Nb2 cell function was investigated. Nb2 cells expressed the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) isoform, whereas neuronal NOS (nNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS) mRNAs were undetectable. The eNOS mRNA was abundantly expressed in PRL-deprived, growth-arrested cells but decreased by at least 3-fold at 3-24 h following PRL treatment. Downregulation of eNOS was not accompanied by a corresponding decrease in the eNOS protein, the level of which remained constant for at least 24 h after PRL treatment. PRL had no effect on the phosphorylation state or subcellular redistribution of the eNOS enzyme, or on production of NO by Nb2 cells. However, increasing concentrations of L-arginine (NOS substrate) alone increased NO production in these cells and significantly enhanced PRL-stimulated cell proliferation. NO releasers (SNAP, DEA/NO, SIN-1) also significantly enhanced Nb2 cell proliferation in the presence of a submaximal dose of PRL (0.125 ng/ml). In the absence of PRL, the NO releasers alone promoted cell survival and maintained a viable cell density significantly higher than that of untreated PRL-deprived cells. L-arginine or the NO releaser DEA/NO alone significantly inhibited apoptosis in Nb2 cells deprived of PRL for 5 days. Expression of the anti-apoptotic gene bcl-2, which was stimulated within 1 h by PRL, was upregulated by L-arginine or DEA/NO alone at 2 h and 8 h, respectively. These findings suggest that NO produced by eNOS inhibits apoptosis and promotes the survival of growth-arrested Nb2 lymphoma cells via a prolactin-independent, Bcl-2-mediated pathway.
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PMID:L-arginine inhibits apoptosis via a NO-dependent mechanism in Nb2 lymphoma cells. 1077 18

Rasagiline (N-propargyl-1-(R)-aminoindan) is a selective, irreversible monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) inhibitor which has been developed as an anti-Parkinson drug. In controlled monotherapy and as adjunct to L-dopa it has shown anti-Parkinson activity. In cell culture (PC-12 and neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells) it exhibits neuroprotective and anti-apoptotic activity against several neurotoxins (SIN-1, MPTP, 6-hydroxydopamine and N-methyl-(R)-salsolinol) and ischemia. In vivo, it reduces the sequelae of traumatic brain injury in mice and speeds their recovery. The neuroprotective activity of rasagaline does not result from MAO B inhibition, since its S-enantiomer, TVP1022, which has 1000-fold weaker MAO inhibitory activity, exhibits similar neuroprotective properties. Introduction of a carbamate moiety into the rasagiline molecule to confer cholinesterase inhibitory activity for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, resulted in compounds TV3326 [(N-Propargyl-(3R)Aminoindan-5-YL)-Ethyl Methyl Carbamate] and its S-enantiomer TV3279 [(N-Propargyl-(3S)Aminoindan-5-YL)-Ethyl Methyl Carbamate], which retain the neuroprotective activities of rasagiline and TVP1022. They also antagonize scopolamine-induced impairments in spatial memory. In addition, TV3326 exhibits brain-selective MAO A and B inhibitory activity after chronic administration and has antidepressant-like activity in the forced swim test. This is associated with an increase in brain levels of serotonin. The anti-apoptotic activity of these propargylamine-containing derivatives may be related to their ability to delay the opening of voltage-dependent anion channels (VDAC), which are part of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. The propargylamine moiety is responsible for the increase in the mitochondrial family of Bcl-2 proteins, prevention in the fall in mitochondrial membrane potential, prevention of the activation of caspase 3, and of translocation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. The latter processes are closely associated with neurotoxin-induced apoptosis. Rasagiline interacts with and prevents the binding of PKI 1195 to the pro-apoptotic peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, which together with Bcl-2, hexokinase, porin, and adenine nucleotide translocator constitutes part of the VDAC. Furthermore, rasagiline, TV3326 and TV3279 are able to influence the processing of amyloid precursor protein by activation of alpha-secretase and increasing the release of soluble alpha APP in rat PC-12 and human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and in rat and mice cortex and hippocampus. This process has been shown to involve the upregulation of PKC and MAP kinase. It is quite likely that the induction of Bcl-2 and activation of PKC by rasagiline and TV3326 is closely linked to the anti-apoptotic action of these drugs and their ability to process APP by activation of alpha-secretase.
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PMID:Molecular basis of neuroprotective activities of rasagiline and the anti-Alzheimer drug TV3326 [(N-propargyl-(3R)aminoindan-5-YL)-ethyl methyl carbamate]. 1204 33

Parkinson's disease is characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra zona compacta, and in other subcortical nuclei associated with a widespread occurrence of Lewy bodies. The causes of cell death in Parkinson's disease are still poorly understood, but a defect in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and enhanced oxidative stress have been proposed. We have examined 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1)-induced apoptosis in control and metallothionein-overexpressing dopaminergic neurons, with a primary objective to determine the neuroprotective potential of metallothionein against peroxynitrite-induced neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease. SIN-1 induced lipid peroxidation and triggered plasma membrane blebbing. In addition, it caused DNA fragmentation, alpha-synuclein induction, and intramitochondrial accumulation of metal ions (copper, iron, zinc, and calcium), and enhanced the synthesis of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine. Furthermore, it down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, but up-regulated the expression of caspase-3 and Bax in dopaminergic (SK-N-SH) neurons. SIN-1 induced apoptosis in aging mitochondrial genome knockout cells, alpha-synuclein-transfected cells, metallothionein double-knockout cells, and caspase-3-overexpressed dopaminergic neurons. SIN-1-induced changes were attenuated with selegiline or in metallothionein-transgenic striatal fetal stem cells. SIN-1-induced oxidation of dopamine to dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde was attenuated in metallothionein-transgenic fetal stem cells and in cells transfected with a mitochondrial genome, and enhanced in aging mitochondrial genome knockout cells, in metallothionein double-knockout cells and caspase-3 gene-overexpressing dopaminergic neurons. Selegiline, melatonin, ubiquinone, and metallothionein suppressed SIN-1-induced down-regulation of a mitochondrial genome and up-regulation of caspase-3 as determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The synthesis of mitochondrial 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine and apoptosis-inducing factors were increased following exposure to 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion or rotenone. Pretreatment with selegiline or metallothionein suppressed 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion-, 6-hydroxydopamine-, and rotenone-induced increases in mitochondrial 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine accumulation. Transfection of aging mitochondrial genome knockout neurons with mitochondrial genome encoding complex-1 or melanin attenuated the SIN-1-induced increase in lipid peroxidation. SIN-1 induced the expression of alpha-synuclein, caspase-3, and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine, and augmented protein nitration. These effects were attenuated by metallothionein gene overexpression. These studies provide evidence that nitric oxide synthase activation and peroxynitrite ion overproduction may be involved in the etiopathogenesis of Parkinson's disease, and that metallothionein gene induction may provide neuroprotection.
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PMID:Metallothionein attenuates 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1)-induced oxidative stress in dopaminergic neurons. 1288 Apr 80

The anti-Parkinson drug, rasagiline, a irreversible propargyl possessing monoamine oxidase B inhibitor can protect neurons in vitro and in vivo from a variety of neurotoxic insults including SIN-1, glutamate, the parkinsonism inducing neurotoxin, N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, N-methyl-(R)-salsolinol and including beta amyloid protein. Recent studies have shown that rasagiline rapidly modulates intracellular signaling pathways involved in cell survival and death. Specifically rasagiline activates Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, protein kinase C (PKC) and reduces Bax in a variety of cells including PC-12 and neuroblastoma human dopamine derived SH-SY5Y cells. These enzymes play key roles in cellular events including modulation of apoptotic processes, neuronal plasticity and amyloid precursor protein processing. This pharmacological action of rasagiline is also associated with the prevention of the neurotoxin induced fall in mitochondrial membrane potential, opening of mitochondria permeability transition pore, activation of proteasome-ubiquitin complex, inhibition of cytochrome c release and prevention of caspase 3 activation, similar to the actions of cyclosporin A or Bcl-2 over expression in SH-SY5Y cells. Rasagiline and its various derivatives induces PKC dependent release of soluble amyloid precursor protein alpha and which is blocked by inhibitors of alpha-secretase, PKC and MAPK-dependent signaling. Structure-activity relationship with various propargyl containing derivatives of rasagiline including propargylamine itself has shown that the above described pharmacological action of these compounds resides in the propargylamine moiety. These results have provided a new understanding into the mechanism of neuroprotective actions of rasagiline and its anti-Alzheimer drug derivatives TV3326 and TV3279, which are relevant for therapy of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.
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PMID:The essentiality of Bcl-2, PKC and proteasome-ubiquitin complex activations in the neuroprotective-antiapoptotic action of the anti-Parkinson drug, rasagiline. 1455 44

Generation of high levels of nitric oxide (NO) following induction of NOS2 by interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta) triggers beta cell apoptosis in insulin-secreting RINm5F cells. Mitochondrial and nuclear events such as downregulation of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, activation of the pore responsible for the permeability transition (PT) and DNA fragmentation are involved in the process. We report in the present paper that exposure of insulin-producing RINm5F cells to NO donors and to IL-1beta leads to oxidative carbonylation of both Bcl-2 and the adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) component of the mitochondrial PT pore. When the effect of endogenous generation of high concentrations of NO following exposure of cells to IL-1beta was studied, carbonylation of Bcl-2 preceded downregulation of the protein. Overexpression of Mn-SOD decreases substantially the extent of Bcl-2 carbonylation in SIN-1-exposed cells. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) inhibition, carbonylation and translocation from cytoplasm to nucleus and DNA fragmentation were also induced by DETA/NO exposure. DETA/NO-induced carbonylation of Bcl-2 and ANT proteins takes place 6 h before apoptotic release of histone-associated DNA to cytoplasm. Time course studies also reveal a close parallel between GAPDH translocation to nucleus and carbonylation. Inhibitors of lipooxidation end products formation such as piridoxamine (PM) and aminoguanidine (AG) block NO-triggered carbonylation of Bcl-2, ANT and GAPDH, prevent NO-induced GAPDH enzyme inhibition and nuclear translocation and DNA fragmentation. Our results support the notion that the oxidative carbonylation of proteins plays a role in the control of NO-induced apoptosis.
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PMID:Nitric oxide-induced carbonylation of Bcl-2, GAPDH and ANT precedes apoptotic events in insulin-secreting RINm5F cells. 1472 54

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra zona compacta and in other subcortical nuclei associated with a widespread occurrence of Lewy bodies. The causes of cell death in Parkinson's disease are still poorly understood, but a defect in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and enhanced oxidative stress has been proposed. We have examined 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1)-induced apoptosis in control and metallothionein-overexpressing dopaminergic neurons, with a primary objective to determine the neuroprotective potential of metallothionein (MT) against peroxynitrite-induced neurodegeneration in PD. SIN-1 induced lipid peroxidation and triggered plasma membrane blebbing. In addition, it caused DNA fragmentation, alpha-synuclein induction, and intramitochondrial accumulation of metal ions (copper, iron, zinc, and calcium), and it enhanced the synthesis of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine. Furthermore, it downregulated the expression of Bcl-2 and poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase, but upregulated the expression of caspase-3 and Bax in dopaminergic (SK-N-SH) neurons. SIN-1 induced apoptosis in aging mitochondrial genome knockout cells, alpha-synuclein-transfected cells, metallothionein double-knockout cells, and caspase-3-overexpressed dopaminergic neurons. SIN-1-induced changes were attenuated with selegiline or in metallothionein-transgenic striatal fetal stem cells. SIN-1-induced oxidation of dopamine (DA) to dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde (DopaL) was attenuated in metallothionein-transgenic fetal stem cells and in cells transfected with a mitochondrial genome, and was enhanced in aging mitochondrial genome knockout cells, in metallothionein double-knockout cells, and caspase-3 gene-overexpressing dopaminergic neurons. Selegiline, melatonin, ubiquinone, and metallothionein suppressed SIN-1-induced downregulation of a mitochondrial genome and upregulation of caspase-3 as determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. These studies provide evidence that nitric oxide synthase activation and peroxynitrite ion overproduction may be involved in the etiopathogenesis of PD, and that metallothionein gene induction may provide neuroprotection.
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PMID:Peroxynitrite in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease and the neuroprotective role of metallothioneins. 1629 Dec 39

Activin is a member of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily which comprises a growing list of multifunctional proteins that function as modulators of cell proliferation, differentiation, hormone secretion and neuronal survival. This study examined the neuroprotective effect of both Activin A and B in serum withdrawal and oxidative stress apoptotic cellular models and investigated the expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins, which may account for the mechanism of Activin-induced neuroprotection. Here, we report that recombinant Activin A and B are neuroprotective against serum deprivation- and toxin- [either the parkinsonism-inducing neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) or the peroxynitrite donor, 3-(4-morpholinyl) sydnonimine hydrochloride (SIN-1)] induced neuronal death in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate for the first time that transient transfection with Activin betaA or betaB significantly protect SH-SY5Y and rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells against serum withdrawal-induced apoptosis. This survival effect is mediated by the Bcl-2 family members and involves inhibition of caspase-3 activation; reduction of cleaved poly-ADP ribose polymerase and phosphorylated H2A.X protein levels and elevation of tyrosine hydroxylase expression. These results indicate that both Activin-A and -B share the potential to induce neuroprotective activity and thus may have positive impact on aging and neurodegenerative diseases to retard the accelerated rate of neuronal degeneration.
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PMID:The neuroprotective effect of Activin A and B: implication for neurodegenerative diseases. 1768 Sep 97


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