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)

Mutations in the human homologue of Drosophila Patched1 (PTCH1) have been found in several common tumours including basal cell carcinoma, medulloblastoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Medulloblastoma and RMS are also present in the murine model for Ptch1 deficiency. Tumours in heterozygous Ptch1(neo67/+) mice consistently exhibit elevated transcript levels of the proto-oncogene Gli1, of Ptch1 itself, and of the insulin-like growth factor 2 (Igf2). The present study has investigated additional molecular changes in RMSs of Ptch1 mutant mice by means of microarray analysis and protein expression analysis. The data show activation of the cell survival-promoting Akt/protein kinase B (Pkb). Furthermore, RMSs express increased levels of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and of genes and proteins known to inhibit cell proliferation, including Gadd45a and p27kip1. Taken together, the data suggest that the formation of RMSs in Ptch1 mutants is associated with the ability of tumour cells to resist apoptosis.
 ...
PMID:Molecular characterization of Patched-associated rhabdomyosarcoma. 1284 31

Activation signals from bacterial stimuli set into motion a series of events that alter the abbreviated lifespan of neutrophils. These studies show that the bacterial chemoattractant, formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP), promotes the phosphorylation/inactivation of the FOXO subfamily of forkhead transcription factors (FKHR, FKHR-L1, and AFX) through the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Akt (protein kinase B) and the RAS mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. Furthermore, fMLP stimulation causes the inducible expression of the prosurvival Bcl-2 family member Mcl-1, which then binds to a complex containing FKHR. These studies show that fMLP-stimulated neutrophils coordinate the regulation of FOXO transcription factors and the survival factor Mcl-1, a mechanism that may allow neutrophils to alter their survival.
 ...
PMID:Neutrophil activation by fMLP regulates FOXO (forkhead) transcription factors by multiple pathways, one of which includes the binding of FOXO to the survival factor Mcl-1. 1296 Feb 71

Cytokines such as interleukin 3 (IL-3), kit ligand (KL), and flt3 ligand (FL) promote survival of hematopoietic stem cells and myeloid progenitor cells. In many cell types, members of the Bcl-2 gene family are major regulators of survival, but the mediating mechanisms are not fully understood. Using two myeloid progenitor cell lines, FDCP-mix and FDC-P1, as well as primary mouse bone marrow progenitors, we demonstrate that KL-mediated survival is dependent on the activation of phosphatidylinositol-3 (PI-3) kinase. The inhibitor LY294002 was able to completely abolish survival mediated by KL, whereas IL-3 and FL were only partially affected. Although all three cytokines induced phosphorylation of protein kinase B (PKB), only KL required PI-3 kinase activity to elicit survival in hematopoietic progenitors. In contrast, pretreatment of cells with inhibitors to the MAP kinase pathway did not affect the survival. We next established if IL-3 and FL activated antiapoptotic Bcl-2 and the related genes Bcl-XL and Mcl-1. By RNA protection assay and Western blot analysis, we show that all three genes are induced by IL-3, whereas FL induces Bcl-2 and to some extent Bcl-XL. Importantly, KL could not sustain their expression. Moreover, use of inhibitors implied that IL-3 was mainly exerting its effect on Bcl-2 at the level of transcription. The addition of LY294002 did not affect the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL, and thus, we conclude that expression of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family member genes is not dependent on PI-3 kinase activity. Our results indicate that cytokines exert distinct survival effects and that FL and IL-3 are capable of sustaining progenitor survival by up-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and related genes.
 ...
PMID:Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase is essential for kit ligand-mediated survival, whereas interleukin-3 and flt3 ligand induce expression of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family genes. 1296 Feb 81

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.
 ...
PMID:A new bisphosphonate, YM529 induces apoptosis in HL60 cells by decreasing phosphorylation of single survival signal ERK. 1367 34

IGF-I regulates islet beta-cell growth, survival, and metabolism and protects against type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, the therapeutic efficacy of free IGF-I may be limited by its biological half-life in vivo. We investigated whether prolongation of its half-life as an IGF-I/IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-3 complex affords increased protection against T1D and whether this occurs by influencing T cell function and/or islet beta-cell growth and survival. Administration of IGF-I either alone or as an IGF-I/IGFBP-3 complex reduced the severity of insulitis and delayed the onset of T1D in nonobese diabetic mice, but IGF-I/IGFBP-3 was significantly more effective. Protection from T1D elicited by IGF-I/IGFBP-3 was mediated by up-regulated CCL4 and down-regulated CCL3 gene expression in pancreatic draining lymph nodes, activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Akt/protein kinase B signaling pathway of beta-cells, reduced beta-cell apoptosis, and stimulation of beta-cell replication. Reduced beta-cell apoptosis resulted from elevated Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L) activity and diminished caspase-9 activity, indicating a novel role for a mitochondrial-dependent pathway of beta-cell death. Thus, IGF-I/IGFBP-3 affords more efficient protection from insulitis, beta-cell destruction, and T1D than IGF-I, and this complex may represent an efficacious therapeutic treatment for the prevention of T1D.
 ...
PMID:Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I/IGF-binding protein-3 complex: therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of protection against type 1 diabetes. 1461 76

The serine/threonine kinase Akt/protein kinase B inhibits apoptosis induced by a variety of stimuli, including overexpression or activation of proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members. The precise mechanisms by which Akt prevents apoptosis are not completely understood, but Akt may function to maintain mitochondrial integrity, thereby preventing cytochrome c release following an apoptotic insult. This effect may be mediated, in part, via promotion of physical and functional interactions between mitochondria and hexokinases. Here we show that growth factor deprivation induced proteolytic cleavage of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member BID to yield its active truncated form, tBID. Activated Akt inhibited mitochondrial cytochrome c release and apoptosis following BID cleavage. Akt also antagonized tBID-mediated BAX activation and mitochondrial BAK oligomerization, two downstream events thought to be critical for tBID-induced apoptosis. Glucose deprivation, which impaired the ability of Akt to maintain mitochondrion-hexokinase association, prevented Akt from inhibiting BID-mediated apoptosis. Interestingly, tBID independently elicited dissociation of hexokinases from mitochondria, an effect that was antagonized by activated Akt. Ectopic expression of the amino-terminal half of hexokinase II, which is catalytically active and contains the mitochondrion-binding domain, consistently antagonized tBID-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that Akt inhibits BID-mediated apoptosis downstream of BID cleavage via promotion of mitochondrial hexokinase association and antagonism of tBID-mediated BAX and BAK activation at the mitochondria.
 ...
PMID:Akt inhibits apoptosis downstream of BID cleavage via a glucose-dependent mechanism involving mitochondrial hexokinases. 1470 45

Granulocytes are critical components of the innate immune system whose lifespan is limited by an intrinsic, constitutive, apoptotic pathway. However, the lifespan of these cells can be extended at an inflammatory locus through interaction with survival factors. Although a wide variety of factors can modulate granulocyte survival, they often utilize a common subset of intracellular signal transduction pathways. Over the last decade, evidence has accumulated that the PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase) family of lipid kinases may be critical in regulating the ability of granulocytes to survive at inflammatory loci. Studies utilizing both pharmacological inhibitors of PI3K and isoform-specific knockout mice have demonstrated that this enzyme is needed for the anti-apoptotic effects of granulocyte survival factors. More recently, a serine/threonine protein kinase, termed protein kinase B (also known as c-akt), has been demonstrated to be important in modulating the prosurvival effects of PI3K activation. This can occur through modulation of the expression or phosphorylation of members of the Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphocytic-leukaemia proto-oncogene 2) family of apoptosis regulators. This review summarizes recent results that have implicated a role for PI3K in regulating granulocyte survival.
 ...
PMID:Regulation of granulocyte apoptosis by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. 1515 66

A substantial body of data indicates that reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIs) are implicated in pathogenesis of diverse human diseases. Oxidative stress induced by ROIs often causes cell death via apoptosis that is regulated by a plenty of functional genes and their protein products. Bcl-2 is one such protein that blocks apoptosis induced by various death stimuli. In spite of extensive research, the molecular mechanisms underlying antiapoptotic function of Bcl-2 are not fully clarified. In the present work, we have investigated the role of bcl-2 in protecting against beta-amyloid (Abeta)-induced oxidative death in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. Transfection with the antiapoptotic bcl-2 gene rescued PC12 cells from apoptotic death induced by Abeta. Addition of an NF-kappaB inhibitor, such as pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate or N-tosyl-l-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone, to the media aggravated Abeta-induced PC12 cell death. PC12 cells overexpressing bcl-2 exhibited higher levels of constitutively activated NF-kappaB compared with vector-transfected controls, which appear to be mediated by the elevated activation of Akt/protein kinase B. The ectopic expression of bcl-2 enhanced both the expression and the activity of catalase, which were attenuated by NF-kappaB blockers. These results suggest that NF-kappaB plays a role in bcl-2-mediated protection against Abeta-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells through augmentation of cellular antioxidant capacity.
 ...
PMID:Bcl-2 protects against Abeta(25-35)-induced oxidative PC12 cell death by potentiation of antioxidant capacity. 1524 Jan 30

Exercise training could potentially exert beneficial effects on the signaling events associated with cardiac cell apoptosis. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were trained 5 days/week on a treadmill (18 m/min for 120 min/day) between the ages of 4 weeks and 1 week, corresponding to the hypertensive accelerating phase. The effect of exercise training on the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins HSP-72, Bcl-2 and protein kinase B (PKB), and the apoptotic proteins Bax and glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) was examined. Exercise had a significant acute lowering effect on blood pressure, but this decrease did not attenuate the progressive increase in blood pressure. In the left ventricles of exercised SHR, PKB phosphorylation of both Ser473 and Thr308 residues was significantly increased by 166% and 120%, respectively, compared to sedentary SHR. PKB phosphorylation significantly correlated with GSK-3beta phosphorylation. HSP-72 and Bcl-2 protein expression were increased in the left ventricle of exercised SHR, and associated with the concomitant increased expression of the protein Bax. Thus, the Bcl-2/Bax ratio was not changed by exercise training, suggesting that the anti-apoptotic mechanism was effective in compensating the increase in the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax in the myocardium of the SHR.
 ...
PMID:Exercise training enhanced the expression of myocardial proteins related to cell protection in spontaneously hypertensive rats. 1529 Mar

Cytotoxicity to renal tubular epithelial cells (RTE) is dependent on the relative response of cell survival and cell death signals triggered by the injury. Forkhead transcription factors, Bcl-2 family member Bad, and mitogen-activated protein kinases are regulated by phosphorylation that plays crucial roles in determining cell fate. We examined the role of phosphorylation of these proteins in regulation of H(2)O(2)-induced caspase activation in RTE. The phosphorylation of FKHR, FKHRL, and Bcl-2 family member Bad was markedly increased in response to oxidant injury, and this increase was associated with elevated levels of basal phosphorylation of Akt/protein kinase B. Phosphoinositol (PI) 3-kinase inhibitors abolished this phosphorylation and also decreased expression of antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and BclxL. Inhibition of phosphorylation of forkhead proteins resulted in a marked increase in the proapoptotic protein Bim. These downstream effects of PI 3-kinase inhibition promoted the oxidant-induced activation of caspase-3 and -9, but not caspase-8 and -1. The impact of enhanced activation of caspases by PI 3-kinase inhibition was reflected on accelerated oxidant-induced cell death. Oxidant stress also induced marked phosphorylation of ERK1/2, P38, and JNK kinases. Inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphorylation but not P38 and JNK kinase increased caspase-3 and -9 activation; however, this activation was far less than induced by inhibition of Akt phosphorylation. Thus the Akt-mediated phosphorylation pathway, ERK signaling, and the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins distinctly regulate caspase activation during oxidant injury to RTE. These studies suggest that enhancing renal-specific survival signals may lead to preservation of renal function during oxidant injury.
 ...
PMID:Regulation of caspase-3 and -9 activation in oxidant stress to RTE by forkhead transcription factors, Bcl-2 proteins, and MAP kinases. 1530 72


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>