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)

Excess neurons in the developing nervous system are eliminated by apoptosis, an ordered cascade of proteolytic events orchestrated by the caspase family of proteases. The apoptotic machinery is tightly regulated by a variety of extracellular signals that either activate or suppress apoptosis after binding to receptors on neurons. These signals are integrated in neurons by a complex network of protein-protein interactions that bring about transcriptional and posttranslational changes in key regulators of the apoptotic machinery; such regulators include members of the Bcl-2 family. Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase-2 (HIPK2) is a recently identified nuclear serine-threonine kinase that interacts with homeodomain transcription factors and participates in the regulation of cell growth and genotoxic stress-induced apoptosis. Here we show that overexpression of HIPK2 in developing neurotrophin-dependent sensory and sympathetic neurons promotes apoptosis of these neurons grown with neurotrophins. HIPK2-induced apoptosis is caspase-dependent, is inhibited by overexpression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-W, and fails to occur in Bax-deficient neurons. Trigeminal sensory neurons, which are especially susceptible to HIPK2-induced apoptosis, express the highest levels of HIPK2 during the peak of apoptosis in vivo. Knockdown of endogenous HIPK2 with antisense oligonucleotides substantially reduces and delays apoptosis after neurotrophin deprivation in vitro. These findings identify HIPK2 as a novel participant in programmed cell death in the developing peripheral nervous system.
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PMID:Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase-2 regulates apoptosis in developing sensory and sympathetic neurons. 1545 48

Chk1 (checkpoint kinase 1) is a serine-threonine kinase that is critical for G2/M arrest in response to DNA damage. Chk1 phosphorylates Cdc25C at serine-216, a major regulatory site, in response to DNA damage. Furthermore, Chk1 also phosphorylates Cdc25A on serine 123 which accelerates its degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and arrests cells in late G2-phase after DNA damage. In the present study, we demonstrated that Chk1 phosphorylates pro-apoptotic protein BAD (Bcl-2/Bcl-XL-Antagonist, causing cell Death) in vitro. In vitro phosphorylation analysis with various mouse BAD peptides has revealed two phosphorylation sites for Chk1 at serine-155 and serine-170. When wild-type and mutant BAD (S155A) constructs were transfected into 293T cells, an association between BAD and Chk1 was observed by co-immunoprecipitation. In addition, there was an increase in the phosphorylation of serine-155 following DNA damage by adriamycin treatment. Our results suggest that Chk1 associates with BAD and phosphorylates the BAD protein at serine-155. Taken together, our results suggest that Chk1 may inactivate BAD by associating with and phosphorylating residues critical for BAD function in response to DNA damage.
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PMID:Chkl binds and phosphorylates BAD protein. 1573 30

Aurora-A kinase, a serine/threonine protein kinase, is a potential oncogene. Amplification and overexpression of Aurora-A have been found in several types of human tumors, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). It has been demonstrated that cells overexpressing Aurora-A are more resistant to cisplatin-induced apoptosis. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating these effects remain largely unknown. In this report, we showed that overexpression of Aurora-A through stable transfection of pEGFP-Aurora-A in human ESCC KYSE150 cells significantly promoted cell proliferation and inhibited cisplatin- or UV irradiation-induced apoptosis. Cleavages of caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in Aurora-A overexpressing cells were substantially reduced after cisplatin or UV treatment. Furthermore, we found that silencing of endogenous Aurora-A kinase with siRNA substantially enhanced sensitivity to cisplatin- or UV-induced apoptosis in human ESCC EC9706 cells. In parallel, overexpression of Aurora-A potently upregulated the expression of Bcl-2. Moreover, the knockdown of Bcl-2 by siRNA abrogated the Aurora-A's effect on inhibiting apoptosis. Taken together, these data provide evidence that Aurora-A overexpression promoting cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis, suggesting a novel mechanism that is closely related to malignant phenotype and anti-cancer drugs resistance of ESCC cells.
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PMID:Overexpression of Aurora-A kinase promotes tumor cell proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell line. 1661 31

Protein kinase B (PKB), an Ag receptor activated serine-threonine kinase, controls various cellular processes including proliferation and survival. However, PKB function in thymocyte development is still unclear. We report PKB as an important negative regulator of the calcineurin (CN)-regulated transcription factor NFAT in early T cell differentiation. Expression of a hyperactive version of CN induces a profound block at the CD25+CD44- double-negative (DN) 3 stage of T cell development. We correlate this arrest with up-regulation of Bcl-2, CD2, CD5, and CD27 proteins and constitutive activation of NFAT but a severe impairment of Rag1, Rag2, and intracellular TCR-beta as well as intracellular TCR-gammadelta protein expression. Intriguingly, simultaneous expression of active myristoylated PKB inhibits nuclear NFAT activity, restores Rag activity, and enables DN3 cells to undergo normal differentiation and expansion. A correlation between the loss of NFAT activity and Rag1 and Rag2 expression is also found in myristoylated PKB-induced CD4+ lymphoma cells. Furthermore, ectopic expression of NFAT inhibits Rag2 promoter activity in EL4 cells, and in vivo binding of NFATc1 to the Rag1 and Rag2 promoter and cis-acting transcription regulatory elements is verified by chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis. The regulation of CN/NFAT signaling by PKB may thus control receptor regulated changes in Rag expression and constitute a signaling pathway important for differentiation processes in the thymus and periphery.
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PMID:PKB rescues calcineurin/NFAT-induced arrest of Rag expression and pre-T cell differentiation. 1698 94

We have identified that Aurora-A activates NF-kappaB via IkappaBalpha phosphorylation. Here, we analysed different human tumour cell types for their NF-kappaB activity. We found that there is an association between cell resistance to chemotherapeutic agents and NF-kappaB activation. A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells and SKOV3 human ovarian cancer cells have high levels of NF-kappaB and are resistant to cytotoxic agents such as adriamycin and VP-16 (etoposide). We also found that in A549 and SKOV3 cells treated with a small molecule inhibitor towards Aurora kinases, the NF-kappaB activity was downregulated and the efficacy of cytotoxic drugs was enhanced. In addition, the transcriptional targets Bcl-XL and Bcl-2 were downregulated. This study provides evidence for a potential mechanism of chemoresistance and may be useful for the enhancement of certain chemotherapeutics regimens.
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PMID:Aurora kinase inhibition downregulates NF-kappaB and sensitises tumour cells to chemotherapeutic agents. 1711 39

The Aurora-A/STK15 gene encodes a kinase that is frequently amplified in cancer. However, it is not clear what role this plays in the development of cancer since little is known about its biochemical targets. We have showed that Aurora-A induces phosphorylation of IkappaBa, thereby mediating its degradation. Loss of IkappaBa leads to activation of NF-kappaB target gene transcription. We analysed primary human breast cancers and 13.6% of samples showed Aurora-A gene amplification all of which exhibited nuclear localisation of NF-kappaB. We propose that this subgroup of breast cancer patients might benefit from inhibiting Aurora-A. Further analysis of different human tumour cell types for their NF-kappaB activity have showed that there is an association between cell resistance to chemotherapeutic agents and NF-kappaB activation. A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells and SKOV3 human ovarian cancer cells have high levels of NF-kappaB and are resistant to cytotoxic agents such as adriamycin and VP-16 (etoposide). We also found that in A549 and SKOV3 cells treated with a small molecule inhibitor towards Aurora kinases, the NF-kappaB activity was downregulated and the efficacy of cytotoxic drugs was enhanced. In addition, the transcriptional targets Bcl-XL and Bcl-2 were downregulated. These findings have important implications for cancer chemotherapy. Aurora-A-inhibition enhances the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents and reverses acquired resistance resulting from the activation of NF-kappaB. Consequently, preventing NF-kappaB activation by inhibition of Aurora-A, may provide a valuable enhancement to specific chemotherapeutic regimens.
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PMID:Aurora-A kinase regulates NF-kappaB activity: lessons from combination studies. 1793 80

Mitotic Aurora kinases are required for accurate chromosome segregation during cell division. Ectopic expression of Aurora-A (Aur-A) kinase results in centrosome amplification, aberrant spindles, and consequent aneuploidy. In the present study, we showed that Aurora kinase inhibitory small molecule VX-680 inhibited histone H3 phosphorylation at Ser10, a known in vivo substrate residue of Aurora kinase, in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) KB cells. In addition, monopolar spindle structures, typical abnormalities induced by inhibition of Aur-A, were generated in VX-680-treated cells. Inhibition of Aurora kinase led to reduced KB cell growth, as assessed by MTT assay. Western blot analysis revealed that VX-680 caused cleavage of two critical apoptotic associated proteins, PARP and caspase-3. In contrast, expression of cell survival factor Bcl-2 was reduced by VX-680 treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Subsequently, nuclear characteristic of DNA fragmentation, indicative of apoptotic cell death, was clearly observed in these OSCC cells with Aurora kinase inhibitory VX-680. Taken together, we showed that Aurora kinase inhibitory VX-680 led to apoptotic cell death in OSCC cells, suggesting a novel therapeutic target in oral cancer.
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PMID:Aurora kinase small molecule inhibitor destroys mitotic spindle, suppresses cell growth, and induces apoptosis in oral squamous cancer cells. 1799 88

Previously, we and others showed that mitotic Aurora-A kinase (Aur-A) was required for accurate mitotic entry and proper spindle assembly. In this study, we found that expression of Aur-A was markedly elevated in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMCs) obtained from a significant portion of de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Targeting human primary AML cells with Aur-A kinase inhibitory VX-680 led to apoptotic cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, VX-680-induced cell death was preferentially higher in Aur-A-high primary leukemic blasts compared with Aur-A-low AML (P < .001) or normal BMMCs (P < .001), suggesting the possible pharmacologic window in targeting Aurora kinase among Aur-A-high VX-680-sensitive leukemia patients. VX-680-induced cell death in AML cell lines was accompanied by formation of monopolar mitotic spindles, G(2)/M phase arrest, decreased phosphorylated(p)-Akt-1, and increased proteolytic cleavage of procaspase-3 and poly(ADP)ribose polymerase. Notably, VX-680 increased Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratio, a favorable proapoptotic predictor for drug response and survival in AML. Lastly, VX-680 enhanced the cytotoxic effect of the chemotherapeutic agent etoposide (VP16) on AML cells. Together, we concluded that Aurora kinases were potentially therapeutic targets for AML and that Aur-A-high expression may serve as a differential marker for selective treatment.
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PMID:Aurora kinase inhibitory VX-680 increases Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and induces apoptosis in Aurora-A-high acute myeloid leukemia. 1816 Jun 64

Normal cells undergo anoikis when they lose adhesion to or encounter an inappropriate extracellular matrix. By contrast, oncogenic signaling in tumor cells enables resistance to anoikis, a trait that contributes to tumor progression. The B-RAF serine-threonine kinase is mutated in multiple cancers and functions as an oncogene in melanoma. Previously, we demonstrated that B-RAF and downstream mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK) signaling are necessary for protection from anoikis in mutant B-RAF-expressing melanoma cells. Regulation of Bcl-2 family members in melanoma and their role in B-RAF-mediated survival is poorly defined. Here, we provide evidence that B-RAF-MEK signaling protects against anoikis through alterations in two proapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins: Bcl-xL/Bcl-2-associated death promoter (Bad) and Bcl-2-interacting mediator of cell death (Bim). B-RAF-MEK signaling regulates phosphorylation of the inhibitory serine-75 residue of Bad, and decreases Bad mRNA expression. RNA interference and overexpression experiments demonstrate that Bad contributes to the susceptibility of B-RAF-depleted cells to anoikis. Additionally, B-RAF-MEK signaling regulates the expression of Bim(EL), mainly through control of protein turnover. Increased Bim(EL) levels induce apoptosis in suspended cells and are required for anoikis in B-RAF-depleted cells. Depletion of Bim together with Bad has an additive effect on protecting B-RAF knockdown cells from anoikis. Together, our data show that Bad and Bim are major B-RAF responsive proteins regulating apoptosis in melanoma cells.
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PMID:Mutant B-RAF mediates resistance to anoikis via Bad and Bim. 1824 27

The tumor suppressor gene MMAC/PTEN located on chromosome10q23.3 has dual phosphatase activity in the phosphoinositide-3-kinase signaling pathway and inhibits Akt activation, a serine-threonine kinase, which is involved in proliferative and antiapoptotic pathways. Furthermore, MMAC/PTEN is frequently inactivated in a variety of tumors including prostate cancer. In this study, we generated a new type of gene transfer drug, GelaTen, which is a microsphere of cationized gelatin hydrogels incorporating PTEN plasmid DNA. Using our previously reported radiation-resistant PC3-Bcl-2 human prostate cancer cells (PTEN deleted), we examined the efficacy of GelaTen to force the expression of PTEN in vivo to inhibit tumor growth after intratumoral injection alone or with irradiation. Combinational therapy with GelaTen and irradiation improved both the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of growth inhibition compared with GelaTen or irradiation alone. These data show that GelaTen gene therapy, enabling radiosensitization, can potentially treat prostate cancers that have MMAC/PTEN gene alterations associated with radioresistance.
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PMID:Delivery of PTEN via a novel gene microcapsule sensitizes prostate cancer cells to irradiation. 1864 98


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