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Query: UNIPROT:P10415 (
Bcl-2
)
33,771
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
Apoptosis is a required event in maintaining kinetic homeostasis within continually renewing tissues such as skin. However, no systematic study of the apoptotic process in epidermal keratinocytes of the skin has been performed. In this report, we examined the expression of proteins associated with promoting (Fas) or preventing (
Bcl-2
, Bcl-x, CD40) apoptosis in the normal, psoriatic, and malignant keratinocyte. Immunohistochemical staining and flow cytometry analysis revealed that normal cultured keratinocytes express low levels of Fas, CD40, and Bcl-x that was enhanced by cytokines including gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma) and a phorbol ester tumor promoter,
TPA
. Only faint
Bcl-2
staining was detected in cultured keratinocytes exposed to IFN-gamma and
TPA
compared with the prominent expression of Bcl-x. Biopsies of normal skin, psoriatic plaques, and basal cell carcinomas were examined to extend the in vitro observations. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that while keratinocytes in normal epithelium express low to absent levels of Fas and Bcl-x, psoriatic keratinocytes expressed significantly higher levels of Fas and Bcl-x. In contrast, malignant keratinocytes in basal cell carcinomas expressed high levels of
Bcl-2
, but minimal Bcl-x, and no Fas. Immunoblot analysis revealed that the long form of Bcl-x (Bcl-xI), which prevents apoptosis in lymphocytes, is expressed by cultured keratinocytes and psoriatic plaque keratinocytes. We conclude that normal cytokine-activated keratinocytes can express an apoptotic (Fas) and an anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-x). The overexpression of Bcl-x in psoriasis, or
Bcl-2
in basal cell carcinomas, may contribute to the longevity of these cells by blocking the normal apoptotic process involved in the terminal differentiation program of epidermal keratinocytes.
...
PMID:Discordant expression of Bcl-x and Bcl-2 by keratinocytes in vitro and psoriatic keratinocytes in vivo. 774 3
Bcl-2
protein was analysed in cell cultures derived from non-Hodgkin lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia patients. The presence of bcl-2 proto-oncogene protein product has been demonstrated on cytospin preparations utilising immunochemical methods. The correlation between the expression of the bcl-2 protein and the appearance of proliferation- or differentiation related figures was studied. The reported bcl-2 up regulation in malignant lymphoid cells was confirmed in haemo- and lymphopoietic progenitor cells as well as in
TPA
/PHA activated peripheral blood lymphocytes. In comparison to neoplastic cells lower intensity of bcl-2 positive staining in freshly isolated cells from non-leukaemic tissue was observed.
...
PMID:Studies on bcl-2 protein in cultured lymphoid cells. 801 87
B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is characterized by the accumulation of long-lived B lymphocytes that express high levels of
Bcl-2
. We examined the involvement of CED-3/ICE-like proteases in the apoptosis of B-CLL cells. One of the substrates of these proteases is poly(ADP [adenosine 5'-diphosphate]-ribose) polymerase (PARP). The effect of different factors that induce the apoptosis of B-CLL cells on the proteolytic cleavage of PARP has been studied. Treatment of B-CLL cells with different concentrations of dexamethasone (1 to 1,000 micromol/L) induced in a dose-dependent manner the cleavage of PARP. Dexamethasone induced PARP cleavage after 12 hours of incubation, which was almost complete at 48 hours. PARP cleavage during apoptosis of B-CLL cells was studied in cells from eight patients and a correlation was found between cell viability and the degree of PARP cleavage. Incubation in vitro of B-CLL cells with fludarabine for 48 hours induced PARP cleavage in all the cases studied. Protein kinase C (PKC) activation with 100 nmol/L
TPA
(12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate) or incubation with interleukin-4 (10 ng/mL) prevented either dexamethasone- or fludarabine-induced proteolysis of PARP. Incubation of B-CLL cells with the CED-3/ICE-like protease inhibitor Z-VAD.fmk inhibited spontaneous and dexamethasone-induced PARP cleavage and DNA fragmentation in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, Z-VAD.fmk prevented the cytotoxic effect of dexamethasone. These results indicate that CED-3/ICE-like proteases play an important role in the apoptosis of B-CLL cells.
...
PMID:Involvement of CED-3/ICE proteases in the apoptosis of B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. 912 45
The dermal papilla (DP) consists of a discrete population of specialized fibroblasts that are important in the morphogenesis of the hair follicle in the embryo and in the control of the hair growth cycle in the adult. This mitotically quiescent and long-lived cell population expresses gene products that promote cell survival such as
Bcl-2
, and thus normally might be protected from apoptosis. We investigated whether cultured DP fibroblasts are able to undergo apoptosis by treatment with the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine. Involvement of the PKC signaling pathway in DP fibroblast survival/death was investigated by inhibition (staurosporine and Bisindolylmaleimide (Bis) treatment) or activation (
TPA
; 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate treatment) of PKC and characterization of DP-expressed PKC isoforms by RT-PCR. We determined that cultured DP fibroblasts undergo apoptosis, in a dose-related manner, when treated with staurosporine but not when treated with Bis, an inhibitor with narrow PKC isoform specificity.
TPA
confers partial and transient resistance to staurosporine-induced DP apoptosis. Staurosporine and Bis each induced G1 arrest, whereas
TPA
treatment of cultured DP resulted in increased entry into S-phase. The differential responses to individual inhibitors and activators of PKC may be related to the multiple PKC isoforms that DP fibroblasts express. Flow cytometric analysis indicates that the mechanism of staurosporine-induced apoptosis may be through decrease of
Bcl-2
in treated DP cells or through modulation of cell cycle regulators. Correlation between sensitivity to induction of apoptosis and proliferation suggests that dermal papilla cells may normally be protected from apoptosis in vivo by their mitotically quiescent state.
...
PMID:Induction of apoptosis through the PKC pathway in cultured dermal papilla fibroblasts. 922 68
Within past few years, the measurement of serological, histochemical and molecular genetic markers has had an increasing influence on clinical decisions about initial treatment and follow-up. This review presents data concerning the most studied and interesting markers in ovarian cancer. CA 125, CA 19.9, TATI, CASA, CEA,
TPA
, TPS and CYFRA21-1 are now the most widely used serological tumour markers for management of ovarian cancer patients. Ras oncogenes, C-erb2 proto-oncogene, p53 suppressor gene and
Bcl-2
oncogene are examples of currently used molecular genetic markers. As histochemical markers-proliferation markers, flow cytometric analysis, thymidine labelling index, Ki-67 nuclear antigen or differentiation markers are nowadays the ones most often determined. Some of these markers might be useful adjuncts for monitoring response to therapy, including early detection of tumour reactivation to allow curative therapy and rapid detection of treatment failure. The study of these markers may also lead to a better understanding of the biological characteristics of ovarian cancer. Numerous tumour markers characterized in this paper have been recognized as promising prognostic factors. The information derived from studies of these markers also represents the most promising avenue towards new treatment strategies; nevertheless to validate these factors, prospective studies of a large patient population are needed.
...
PMID:Clinical tumour markers in ovarian cancer. 951 49
We have conducted a study to determine the carcinogenic potential of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME), a member of the glycol ether family, as compared to its reactive metabolite 2-methoxy-acetaldehyde (MALD). Since disruption of equilibrium between cell proliferation and cell death is thought to play a key role in multistage carcinogenesis, we investigated, in Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cells exposed to various doses of EGME and MALD, impairment in apoptosis rate and in ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) metabolism. The activity of this rate-limiting enzyme of polyamine biosynthesis is closely related to cell proliferation and cell transformation. At the end-point, comparative action of the two products on SHE cell morphological transformation frequency was evaluated. One-stage exposure of SHE cells to 2 mM EGME and 200 microM MALD for 5 h did not change basal apoptotic level, whereas 0.16 microM phorbol ester (
TPA
) decreased it. Using two-stage exposure protocol (1 h xenobiotic followed by 5 h
TPA
), MALD strongly inhibited apoptosis more than did
TPA
alone; the parent compound EGME did not have any effect on
TPA
inhibiting action. Western blotting analysis showed that sequential treatment (MALD/
TPA
) increased
Bcl-2
oncoprotein expression, whereas Bcl-XL and Bax proteins were not changed. The same staged exposure of SHE cells to MALD/
TPA
strongly induced ODC activity, and the rate was higher than that obtained with
TPA
alone: this was accompanied by an increase of ODC protein level. This ODC superinduction was not observed with EGME/
TPA
treatment. In long-term SHE-cell morphological transformation assay, staged exposure to MALD (800 microM or 1 mM for 24 h) followed by
TPA
applications increased the number of transformed colonies at the seventh day. Such early cooperative events as apoptosis inhibition and ODC superinduction, followed by the increase of SHE-cell transformation frequency, are highly indicative of a carcinogenic potential for the metabolite, MALD.
...
PMID:Apoptosis inhibition and ornithine decarboxylase superinduction as early epigenetic events in morphological transformation of Syrian hamster embryo cells exposed to 2-methoxyacetaldehyde, a metabolite of 2-methoxyethanol. 1022 Dec 78
Recent studies clearly demonstrate that several environmental carcinogens lack the ability to initially induce genetic damage. In that view, multistage chemical carcinogenesis may be processed under the control of a variety of epigenetic events in addition to genotoxic impacts. The understanding of this mechanism as reviewed in this report requires knowledge of early changes induced by carcinogens in target cells, biochemical, biological and molecular reactions closely related to both sides of the growth equation: cell proliferation and programmed death. Among several cell transformation models, the most suitable for carcinogen detection and mechanistic study is the Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cell transformation assay. This closely mimics the multistage carcinogenesis and we can examine, in a relatively short time (8 days), the mechanisms by which genotoxic and non-genotoxic agents may increase the frequency of cell transformation as a preneoplastic end-point. The mode of action of hundred of compounds, carcinogens and non-carcinogens, has been explored so far using one-stage and two-stage treatment protocols. In general, with the two-stage protocol, all carcinogens, irrespective of their genotoxic or non-genotoxic potential, give unambiguous positive results. Since perturbations of cell proliferation and death are considered essential events in the process of carcinogenesis, studies have been conducted on the dysregulation of two specific parameters, the induction of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) an enzyme related to cell proliferation, and the apoptosis rate, when SHE cells are exposed to carcinogens. In one-stage treatment (5 h-24 h), only the promoter
TPA
induces ODC activity, while other carcinogens do not increase this activity. Using the two-stage exposure protocol (1 h xenobiotic/5 h
TPA
), all carcinogens both genotoxic and non-genotoxic, are able to stimulate ODC activity above the level obtained with
TPA
alone. Based on the two-stage treatment with carcinogens a close relationship can be obtained between the ODC superinduction and the increase of morphological cell transformation frequency. In cancer development, it is postulated that the inhibition of apoptosis may help altered cells to escape cell death and acquire a tumorigenic phenotype. Two-stage treatment carcinogen/
TPA
, effectively decreases the apoptotic rate. This is accompanied by an upregulation of the
Bcl-2
oncoprotein, a well-known apoptotic inhibitor. However, treatment with a non-carcinogen phthalic anhydride, also inhibits apoptosis while it does not superinduce ODC activity. Although inhibition of apoptosis is not specific to the carcinogenic compound, both superinduction of ODC activity and inhibition of apoptosis via
Bcl-2
upregulation may cooperate during the early stages of the carcinogenic process. In a long-term stage transformation assay, the rate of transformed colonies is relatively low (2-8%) bringing about the slow evolution of tumoral disease in humans and tumoral induction in rodents. This could be the consequence of the activation of various cellular repair mechanisms during the exposure time. Experimental data reported so far point out that genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogens, thought to be more active in the initiation or in the promotion stage, must share the same stage pathway leading to cancer development.
...
PMID:Epigenetic events during the process of cell transformation induced by carcinogens (review). 1037 83
Raf-1 activation and
Bcl-2
hyperphosphorylation following treatment with paclitaxel (Taxol) or other microtubule-active drugs is associated with mitotic arrest. Here we show that microtubule-active drugs do not activate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in leukemia cells. PD98059, a MEK inhibitor, and SB202190, a p38 MAP kinase inhibitor, do not abrogate
Bcl-2
phosphorylation nor apoptosis. Simultaneously with PARP cleavage, paclitaxel induces cleavage of
Bcl-2
protein yielding a potentially pro-apoptotic 22 kDa product. In comparison, the stimulation of Raf-1 by phorbol ester (
TPA
) activates the MAPK pathway, causes MAPK-dependent p21WAF1/CIP1 induction, Rb dephosphorylation and growth arrest without
Bcl-2
phosphorylation or apoptosis. Like
TPA
, cAMP induces p21WAF1/CIP1 but does not cause
Bcl-2
phosphorylation. MEKK1 and Ras, upstream activators of JNK and ERK MAPK, also fail to induce
Bcl-2
hyperphosphorylation. Although Lck tyrosine kinase has been recently implicated in Raf-1 activation during mitotic arrest, microtubule-active drugs induce Raf-1/
Bcl-2
hyperphosphorylation and apoptosis in a Lck-deficient Jurkat cells. Therefore, microtubule-active drugs induce apoptosis which is associated with Raf-1 and
Bcl-2
phosphorylation and
Bcl-2
cleavage but is independent of the MAPK pathway. In contrast,
TPA
-activated MAPK pathway causes p21WAF1/CIP1-dependent growth arrest without apoptosis.
...
PMID:Mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway is dispensable for microtubule-active drug-induced Raf-1/Bcl-2 phosphorylation and apoptosis in leukemia cells. 1040 Apr 18
The present studies were undertaken to analyse the factors regulating
TPA
-induced apoptosis. Treatment of the monoblastic U-937 cells with the phorbol ester,
TPA
, was found to induce apoptosis in two distinct phases. In phase I (from 0 to 72 hours following
TPA
induction), apoptotic cells appeared, despite the expression of high levels of the anti-apoptotic
Bcl-2
protein. After 96 h. of
TPA
treatment (phase II), the percentage of apoptotic cells increased as did the cell differentiation stage. The first phase apoptotic response could be significantly reduced (70%) by treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) antibody. TNF-alpha protein required de novo RNA and protein synthesis and was found to be mediated by protein kinase and protein tyrosine kinases. Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) inhibited, whereas IL-6 increased
TPA
-induced apoptosis. These findings suggest that both
TPA
, via TNF-alpha synthesis, exerts its protective function intracellularly by inducing MnSOD production and IL-6 may be an effective adjunct to TNF-alpha in the clinic, increasing the antitumor potency of this cytokine.
...
PMID:Autocrine regulation of TPA-induced apoptosis in monoblastic cell-line U-937: role for TNF-alpha, MnSOD and IL-6. 1076 95
Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) by
TPA
in human U937 myeloid leukemia cells is associated with induction of adherence, differentiation, and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. In this study, we demonstrate that in addition to these differentiating cells about 25% of U937 cells accumulated in the subG1 phase after
TPA
treatment. This effect proved to be phorbol ester-specific, since other compounds such as retinoic acid or vitamin D3 failed to induce apoptosis in conjunction with differentiation. Only a specific inhibitor of PKC, GF109203X, but not the broad-spectrum kinase inhibitor staurosporine or a tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein could reverse the induction of apoptosis. Bryostatin-1, another specific PKC activator with distinct biochemical activity failed to induce apoptosis. Moreover, bryostatin-1 completely abolished the induction of apoptosis in U937 cells even if added 8 hours after
TPA
treatment. Apart from apoptosis induced by various chemotherapeutic drugs,
TPA
-related cell death is not mediated by an autocrine Fas-FasL loop and could not be prevented by a blocking antibody to the Fas receptor. However, a 75% reduction in the number of apoptotic cells after
TPA
stimulation was achieved by preincubation with a blocking antibody to the TNFalpha receptor. Tetrapeptide cleavage assays revealed a four-fold increase in the DEVD-cleavage activity in U937 cells compared to a three-fold increase in TUR cells. Immunoblotting demonstrated that TUR cells did not activate significant levels of caspase-3 or -7, whereas in U937 cells a 20-kDa cleavage product corresponding to activated caspase-3 was detectable after 3 d
TPA
exposure. Moreover, immunoblots revealed a strongly reduced expression of the adaptor molecule APAF-1, which is required for cytochrome c-dependent activation of caspase-9 and subsequently caspase-3. APAF-1 proved to be inducible after PKC activation with phorbol ester in U937, but not in TUR cells. Thus, APAF-1 expression may, at least in part, be regulated by PKC activity and reduced APAF-1 levels are associated with resistance to various inducers of apoptosis. Furthermore,
TPA
exposure of U937 cells is associated with increased levels of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bak and Bcl-xs, whereas simultaneously a decline in the
Bcl-2
expression was noticable.
...
PMID:Protein kinase C activation modulates pro- and anti-apoptotic signaling pathways. 1113 46
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