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)

The Bcl-2 family, including antiapoptotic and proapoptotic members, plays key regulating roles in programmed cell death. We report the characterization of a new member of the bcl-2 family, encoded by herpesvirus of turkeys (HVT). The product of this gene shares 80% homology with Nr-13, an apoptosis inhibitor, which is overexpressed in avian cells transformed by the v-src oncogene. This new gene, that we propose to call vnr-13, is the first member of the bcl-2 family to be isolated among alpha-herpesviruses. Results from cells expressing the HVT-vnr-13 gene product show that the encoded protein inhibits apoptosis and also reduces the rate of cellular proliferation. Contrary to all bcl-2 homologues found in gamma-herpesvirus, which are intronless, vnr-13 has the same organization as the cellular nr-13 gene. Hence, the HVT vnr-13 gene may have been acquired from a reverse transcriptase product of an unspliced precursor RNA, or via direct recombination with the host chromosomal DNA.
 ...
PMID:Characterization of vnr-13, the first alphaherpesvirus gene of the bcl-2 family. 1464 8

Conditions in which clastogens produce positive responses have been increasingly challenged, and several situations have been described in which clastogenic responses would be considered not to be relevant. For example, extreme culture conditions lead to high variations of pH, osmolality or ionic strength. Apoptosis is induced in extreme culture conditions and contributes to false-positive results in the in vitro micronucleus test performed with CTLL-2 cells. These cells can enter apoptosis when exposed to apoptosis stimuli or after IL-2 deprivation, whereas the CTLL-2 Bcl2 cell line is protected from apoptosis due to the over-expression of the apoptosis inhibitor Bcl2 in bcl2-transfected CTLL-2 cells. The two cell lines were treated in extreme culture conditions of either pH or osmolality or were submitted to high ionic strength. The apoptosis level was measured in parallel with the in vitro micronucleus test using the annexin V-FITC method. Data obtained in the two cell lines suggested that apoptosis caused by extreme culture condition induces the formation of micronucleated cells, which leads to false-positive results in the in vitro micronucleus test.
 ...
PMID:Apoptosis may contribute to false-positive results in the in vitro micronucleus test performed in extreme osmolality, ionic strength and pH conditions. 1515 49

We previously reported that the morphine alkaloid derivative buprenorphine hydrochloride (Bph) induces rapid apoptosis in NG108-15 nerve cells accompanied by the activation of caspase-3. Here, we found this kind of apoptosis was also accompanied by rapid loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential, followed by the efflux of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytosol and the activation of caspases-9 and -3. Together, these results strongly suggested the Bph death signal was routed through the mitochondrial pathway in NG108-15 cells. In these cells, serum-starvation induces a different apoptosis, which we exploited to investigate Bcl-2's role as an apoptosis inhibitor. We made an NG108-15 transfectant, Bcl-2(P2), that stably expressed human Bcl-2, and used it to test Bcl-2's effect on the serum-starvation-induced apoptosis in NG108-15 cells. Cell viability, DNA-ladder formation, and efflux of cytochrome c from the mitochondria were all detected, showing that the human Bcl-2 functioned normally in the Bcl-2(P2) cells. Although the apoptotic events tested were identical in the parental cells and transformants, Bcl-2 expression completely failed to inhibit Bph-induced apoptosis in the Bcl-2(P2) cells.
 ...
PMID:Over-expressed Bcl-2 cannot suppress apoptosis via the mitochondria in buprenorphine hydrochloride-treated NG108-15 cells. 1534 Feb 16

Interleukin (IL)-7 receptor (R) signaling is essential for T and B lymphopoiesis by promoting proliferation, differentiation, and survival of cells. Mice lacking either IL-7 or the IL-7Ralpha chain have abnormally low numbers of immature as well as mature T and B lymphocytes. Transgenic expression of the apoptosis inhibitor Bcl-2 rescues T cell development and function in IL-7Ralpha-deficient mice, indicating that activation of a proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member causes death of immature and mature T cells. BH3-only proteins such as Bim, which are distant proapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family, are essential initiators of programmed cell death and stress-induced apoptosis. We generated Bim/IL-7Ralpha double deficient mice and found that loss of Bim significantly increased thymocyte numbers, restored near normal numbers of mature T cells in the blood and spleen, and enhanced cytotoxic T cell responses to virus infection in IL-7Ralpha-/- mice. These results indicate that Bim cooperates with other proapoptotic proteins in the death of IL-7-deprived T cell progenitors in vivo, but is the major inducer of this pathway to apoptosis in mature T cells. This indicates that pharmacological inhibition of Bim function might be useful for boosting immune responses in immunodeficient patients.
 ...
PMID:Loss of Bim increases T cell production and function in interleukin 7 receptor-deficient mice. 1550 23

Abnormal hyperphosphorylation of the cytoskeletal protein tau is a characteristic feature of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. Okadaic acid (OA), a protein phosphatase inhibitor, induces neuronal death and hyperphosphorylation of tau. In the present study using a model of microinjection of OA into rat frontal cortex, we aimed to investigate if OA-induced hyperphosphorylation of tau and neuronal death are related to the expression of Bcl-2, an apoptosis inhibitor, or Bax, an apoptosis inducer. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis showed that OA injection dose- and time-dependently induced the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax protein in the surrounding of OA injection areas, which were similar with that of AT8 immunostaining, a marker of hyperphosphorylated tau. However, the ratios of Bcl-2 over Bax had a negative relationship to the expression of AT8. Furthermore, double fluorescent staining showed that AT8-positive neurons mainly costained with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridinetriphosphate nick-end labeling, a marker of DNA damage, indicating that tau hyperphosphorylation may be associated with DNA damage in the neurons of rat brain. In the areas more adjacent to the OA injection site, most neurons with AT8-positive staining showed vulnerability to OA toxicity and could be triple-stained with Bcl-2 and Bax or double-stained with Bcl-2. However, in the areas further from the OA injection site, neurons with few AT8-positive staining showed resistance to OA toxicity and only stained with Bcl-2, but not Bax. The results suggest that the ratios of Bcl-2 over Bax expression may have an effect on tau hyperphosphorylation and neuronal death following OA injection.
 ...
PMID:Induction of Bcl-2 and Bax was related to hyperphosphorylation of tau and neuronal death induced by okadaic acid in rat brain. 1626 26

In a previous study, we observed that cytokine-induced apoptosis inhibitor 1 (CIAPIN1), a newly identified apoptosis inhibitor, was upregulated at the mRNA level in a multidrug-resistant gastric cancer cell line SGC7901/VCR. The aim of this study was to explore the role of CIAPIN1 in the development of multidrug resistance (MDR) in gastric cancer cells. Upregulation of CIAPIN1 in MDR gastric cancer cells was confirmed by semiquantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. Using cDNA transfection and RNA interference, we successfully established stable transfectants with upregulation (i.e., SGC7901-pCIAPIN1) or downregulation (i.e., SGC7901-pSiCIAPIN1 and SGC7901/ADR-pSiCIAPIN1) of CIAPIN1 expression, respectively. In vitro drug sensitivity assay demonstrated that overexpression of CIAPIN1 conferred MDR in SGC7901 cells whereas downregulation of CIAPIN1 sensitized SGC7901 and SGC7901/ADR cells to anticancer drugs. CIAPIN1 protected both SGC7901 and SGC7901/ADR cells from ADR-induced apoptosis and reduced intracellular accumulation and retention of adriamycin. Moreover, expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp or MDR-1, a product of MDR-1 gene) and MDR-related protein-1 (MRP-1) was upregulated by CIAPIN1. In addition, Western blotting revealed that CIAPIN1 decreased the expression of Bcl-2, Bax and p53. Therefore, it is concluded that CIAPIN1 confers MDR in gastric cancer cells, likely by upregulating MDR-1 and MRP-1.
 ...
PMID:CIAPIN1 confers multidrug resistance by upregulating the expression of MDR-1 and MRP-1 in gastric cancer cells. 1641 Jul 21

This study examined the contribution of delayed apoptosis of bronchial mucous cells to mucus accumulation in equine recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). In pilot studies, Bcl-2, an apoptosis inhibitor, was detected in airway mucous cells of RAO-affected horses in remission and during acute disease, when most mucus was secreted. To study whether delayed apoptosis results in an increase in the number of mucous cells during disease recovery, six RAO-affected and six control horses were fed hay for 5 days to induce inflammation and then pellets for 7 days to partially resolve RAO before euthanasia. RAO-affected horses had more airway obstruction and luminal mucus than control horses under both management systems. At the time of euthanasia, RAO-affected horses had more inflammation and Bcl-2-positive bronchial mucous cells than control animals. In horses with >10 and <10 neutrophils per microliter of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, >50% and <10% of mucous cells stained positive for Bcl-2, respectively. No differences in mucous cell number or amount of stored mucosubstance were observed between RAO-affected and control horses, but in RAO-affected animals, the amount of stored mucosubstance decreased as the number of neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid increased. Because the number of mucous cells was similar in both groups of horses but only mucous cells of RAO-affected horses expressed Bcl-2 during recovery from acute disease, a conclusive role for Bcl-2 in prolonging bronchial mucous cell life could not be determined. Future studies are needed to compare horses that are kept in remission for prolonged periods when all mucous cells are fully developed.
 ...
PMID:Persistent mucus accumulation: a consequence of delayed bronchial mucous cell apoptosis in RAO-affected horses? 1650 Sep 47

Hint1 is a member of the evolutionarily conserved family of histidine triad proteins that acts as a haplo-insufficient tumor suppressor inducing spontaneous tumor formation in Hint+/- and Hint-/- mouse models. However, the molecular mechanisms for the tumor-suppressing activity are poorly defined. In this respect, we have recently shown that Hint1, by interaction with Pontin and Reptin, inhibits T-cell factor/beta-catenin-mediated transcription of Wnt target genes. In this study, we have found that, after transient transfection with Hint1, SW480 and MCF-7 cells undergo apoptosis as analyzed by pro-caspase-3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, M30 CytoDEATH staining, cytochrome c release, and DNA fragmentation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hint1 is involved in the regulation of apoptotic pathways by inducing an up-regulation of p53 expression coinciding with an up-regulation of the proapoptotic factor Bax and a concomitant down-regulation of the apoptosis inhibitor Bcl-2. Bad and Puma levels remained unchanged. Further analyses revealed that Hint1 is associated with the Bax promoter and is a component of the Tip60 histone acetyltransferase complex and, in this context, appears to be involved in the regulation of Bax expression. Knockdown of Hint1 by short hairpin RNA resulted in down-regulation of p53 and Bax but had no effect on Bcl-2 expression. A mutant Hint1 (H112N) protein defective in enzymatic activity as an AMP-NH2 hydrolase was not impaired in induction of apoptosis, suggesting that the Hint1 pro-apoptotic activity is independent of the Hint1 enzymatic activity.
 ...
PMID:The histidine triad protein Hint1 triggers apoptosis independent of its enzymatic activity. 1683 43

Apoptosis may be involved in diabetes-induced embryonic dysmorphogenesis. We estimated the occurrence of apoptosis in embryos of a rat model for diabetic pregnancy. We found decreased Bcl-2, increased Bax and cleaved Caspase 3 proteins in embryos from diabetic rats. Moreover, we found increased activation of Caspase 3 in cells from embryos previously exposed to a diabetes-like environment (in vivo, in vitro) compared to cells from control embryos, which was normalized by supplementation of N-acetylcysteine or apoptosis inhibitor. We detected increased propidium iodide uptake in embryonic cells exposed to maternal diabetes, a finding confirmed by vital staining. Additionally, we found increased dysmorphogenesis in embryos exposed to a diabetic environment in vivo and in vitro. Exposure to a diabetic milieu during organogenesis increases apoptosis in embryonic cells and dysmorphogenesis in embryos. Enhanced apoptotic rate may have a role in diabetic embryopathy by inducing disturbed embryonic maturation, increased rates of resorptions and congenital malformations.
 ...
PMID:Maternal diabetes in vivo and high glucose concentration in vitro increases apoptosis in rat embryos. 1703 87

Apoptotic cell death forms part of the host defense against virus infection. We tested orf virus, a member of the poxvirus family, for the ability to inhibit apoptosis and found that orf virus-infected cells were fully resistant to UV-induced changes in cell morphology, caspase activation, and DNA fragmentation. By using a library of vaccinia virus-orf virus recombinants, we identified an orf virus gene (ORFV125) whose presence was linked with the inhibition of apoptosis. The 173-amino-acid predicted protein had no clear homologs in public databases other than those encoded by other parapoxviruses. However, ORFV125 possessed a distinctive C-terminal domain which was necessary and sufficient to direct the protein to the mitochondria. We determined that ORFV125 alone could fully inhibit UV-induced DNA fragmentation, caspase activation, and cytochrome c release and that its mitochondrial localization was required for its antiapoptotic function. In contrast, ORFV125 did not prevent UV-induced activation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase, an event occurring upstream of the mitochondria. These features are comparable to the antiapoptotic properties of the mitochondrial regulator Bcl-2. Furthermore, bioinformatic analyses revealed sequence and secondary-structure similarities to Bcl-2 family members, including characteristic residues of all four Bcl-2 homology domains. Consistent with this, the viral protein inhibited the UV-induced activation of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members Bax and Bak. ORFV125 is the first parapoxvirus apoptosis inhibitor to be identified, and we propose that it is a new antiapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family.
 ...
PMID:A novel Bcl-2-like inhibitor of apoptosis is encoded by the parapoxvirus ORF virus. 1747 53


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