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)

Chromosomal translocation within B and T cell malignancies has proven a rich source for proto-oncogenes. The obligate DNA breaks within immunoglobulin (Ig) and T cell receptor (TCR) loci are frequently the sites of recurrent translocations. Burkitt's lymphoma established the paradigm by introducing the myc oncogene from chromosome segment 8q24 into the Ig heavy chain gene locus at 14q32. Molecular cloning of an aberrant Ig rearrangement in follicular lymphoma revealed Bcl-2. Bcl-2 constitutes the first member of a new category of oncogenes: regulators of programmed cell death. Bcl-2 blocks apoptosis and maintains long-term immune responsiveness including B-cell memory. The PRAD1 gene of parathyroid adenomas appears to be the elusive Bcl-1 gene of t(11;14)(q13;q32) bearing lymphomas. It proves to be a novel G1 cyclin. Acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL) pre-B phenotype produce a E2A/PBX fusion protein that possesses the leucine zipper of E2A with the homeodomain of PBX. Two molecular forms of the BCR/ABL fusion protein are produced by the Philadelphia chromosome. A deregulated p210 tyrosine kinase is found in chronic myelogenous leukemia, while a p190 form predominates in Ph+ ALL. In contrast, T-cell ALLs introduce a potpourri of genes into their T cell receptor loci. However, a common theme is emerging. These oncogenes (Ttg1, Ttg2, SCL, LylI, H0X11) all belong to classic families of transcription factors, possessing LIM domains, helix-loop-helix motifs, or homeodomains. Provocatively, these transcription factors are normally intended for lineages other than T cells. These genes have widened the horizons of both oncogenesis and normal development.
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PMID:Chromosomal translocations in lymphoid malignancies reveal novel proto-oncogenes. 159 Oct 3

Mad is a bHLH/Zip protein that, as a heterodimer with Max, can repress Myc-induced transcriptional transactivation. Expression of Mad is induced upon terminal differentiation of several cell types, where it has been postulated to down-regulate Myc-induced genes that drive cell proliferation. Here we show that Mad also blocks transformation of primary rat embryo fibroblasts by c-Myc and the activated c-Ha-Ras oncoproteins. Mad mutants lacking either the basic region, the leucine zipper, or an intact NH2-terminal protein interaction domain fail to inhibit Myc-Ras cotransformation. These results indicate that the repression of cotransformation requires DNA-binding and is mediated by multiple protein-protein interactions involving both Max and mSin3, a putative mammalian corepressor protein. With increasing amounts of the cotransfected myc gene, the numbers of transformed foci are reduced and the ability of Mad to inhibit focus formation is attenuated. Moreover, cell lines derived from such foci constitutively express both Myc and Mad proteins. Whereas Bcl-2 can significantly increase the numbers of transformed foci by enhancing the survival of myc-ras-transfected cells, it does not counteract the repressive effects of Mad on transformation, suggesting that Mad affects the growth properties rather than the viability of cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that Mad is capable of antagonizing the biological effects of Myc and thereby suggest that Mad could function as a tumor suppressor gene.
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PMID:Repression of Myc-Ras cotransformation by Mad is mediated by multiple protein-protein interactions. 766 17

CHOP (GADD153) is a member of the C/EBP family and a stress-induced protein. To investigate the role of CHOP in cellular growth, we expressed CHOP conditionally in M1 myeloblastic leukemia cells that do not express p53 protein. More than 60% of M1 cells died through apoptosis 72 h after CHOP induction. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that this process requires leucine zipper domain but neither intact basic region nor trans-activation domain. CHOP-mediated apoptosis accompanied downregulation of bcl-2 mRNA and overexpression of Bcl-2 delayed the process. Our results indicate that CHOP can induce apoptosis in a p53-independent manner.
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PMID:Ectopic expression of CHOP (GADD153) induces apoptosis in M1 myeloblastic leukemia cells. 889 82

c-Jun, a signal-transducing transcription factor of the AP-1 family, normally implicated in cell cycle progression, differentiation and cell transformation, recently has also been linked to apoptosis. To explore further the functional roles of c-Jun, a conditional allele was generated by fusion of c-Jun with the hormone-binding domain of the human estrogen receptor (ER). Here we demonstrate that increased c-Jun activity is sufficient to trigger apoptotic cell death in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. c-Jun-induced apoptosis is evident at high serum levels, but is enhanced further in factor-deprived fibroblasts. Furthermore, apoptosis by c-Jun is not accompanied by an increase in DNA synthesis. Constitutive overexpression of the apoptosis inhibitor protein Bcl-2 delays the c-Jun-mediated cell death. The regions of c-Jun necessary for apoptosis induction include the amino-terminal transactivation and the carboxy-terminal leucine zipper domain, suggesting that c-Jun may activate cell death by acting as a transcriptional regulator. We further show that alpha-fodrin, a substrate of the interleukin 1beta-converting enzyme (ICE) and CED-3 family of cysteine proteases, becomes proteolytically cleaved in cells undergoing cell death by increased c-Jun activity. Moreover, cell-permeable irreversible peptide inhibitors of the ICE/CED-3 family of cysteine proteases prevented the cell death.
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PMID:Induction of apoptosis by the transcription factor c-Jun. 913 Jul 14

We have identified a human Bcl-2-interacting protein, p28 Bap31. It is a 28-kD (p28) polytopic integral protein of the endoplasmic reticulum whose COOH-terminal cytosolic region contains overlapping predicted leucine zipper and weak death effector homology domains, flanked on either side by identical caspase recognition sites. In cotransfected 293T cells, p28 is part of a complex that includes Bcl-2/Bcl-XL and procaspase-8 (pro-FLICE). Bax, a pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, does not associate with the complex; however, it prevents Bcl-2 from doing so. In the absence (but not presence) of elevated Bcl-2 levels, apoptotic signaling by adenovirus E1A oncoproteins promote cleavage of p28 at the two caspase recognition sites. Purified caspase-8 (FLICE/MACH/Mch5) and caspase-1(ICE), but not caspase-3 (CPP32/apopain/ Yama), efficiently catalyze this reaction in vitro. The resulting NH2-terminal p20 fragment induces apoptosis when expressed ectopically in otherwise normal cells. Taken together, the results suggest that p28 Bap31 is part of a complex in the endoplasmic reticulum that mechanically bridges an apoptosis-initiating caspase, like procaspase-8, with the anti-apoptotic regulator Bcl-2 or Bcl-XL. This raises the possibility that the p28 complex contributes to the regulation of procaspase-8 or a related caspase in response to E1A, dependent on the status of the Bcl-2 setpoint within the complex.
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PMID:p28 Bap31, a Bcl-2/Bcl-XL- and procaspase-8-associated protein in the endoplasmic reticulum. 933 38

Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4) is a 38-kDa protein initially identified as the product of a gene upregulated in prostate tumor cells undergoing apoptosis. Par-4 contains both a death domain and a leucine zipper domain, and has been shown to interact with several proteins known to modulate apoptosis, including protein kinase Czeta, Bcl-2, and caspase-8. A rapid increase in Par-4 levels occurs in neurons undergoing apoptosis in a variety of paradigms, including trophic factor withdrawal, and exposure to oxidative and metabolic insults. Par-4, which can be induced at the translational level, acts at an early stage of the apoptotic cascade prior to caspase activation and mitochondrial dysfunction. The mechanism whereby Par-4 promotes apoptosis may involve inhibition of the antiapoptotic transcription factor NF-kappaB and suppression of Bcl-2 expression and/or function. Studies of postmortem tissues from patients and animal models of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and HIV encephalitis, have documented increased levels of Par-4 in vulnerable neurons. Manipulations that block Par-4 expression or function prevent neuronal cell death in models of each disorder, suggesting a critical role for Par-4 in the neurodegenerative process. Interestingly, Par-4 levels rapidly increase in synaptic terminals following various insults, and such local increases in Par-4 levels appear to play important roles in synaptic dysfunction and degeneration. A better understanding of the molecular and cellular biology of Par-4 will help clarify mechanisms of neuronal apoptosis, and may lead to the development of novel preventative and therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disorders.
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PMID:Par-4: an emerging pivotal player in neuronal apoptosis and neurodegenerative disorders. 1069 Dec 89

Properly regulated keratinocyte cell death is fundamentally important to maintain structural integrity and homeostatic function of epidermis. Moreover, from an oncological perspective, therapeutic approaches selectively targeting apoptosis of malignant cell types while sparing normal keratinocytes in surrounding skin is desirable. Apo2Ligand/tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (Apo2L/TRAIL) has been observed to preferentially induce cytopathic effects on transformed/malignant cell types compared with their non-neoplastic counterparts. In this report, two different biologically active preparations of Apo2L/TRAIL, a non-tagged version, NT-Apo2L/TRAIL, and a leucine zipper fusion protein, LZ-Apo2L/TRAIL, were examined for their ability to trigger apoptosis in normal human keratinocytes, and in an immortalized cell line (HaCaT cells). Differences between these preparations were observed, including: NT-Apo2L/TRAIL induced less keratinocyte apoptosis compared with LZ-Apo2L/TRAIL; NT-Apo2L/TRAIL also induced less apoptosis of HaCaT cells compared with LZ-Apo2L/TRAIL; LZ-Apo2L/TRAIL but not NT-Apo2L/TRAIL induced cytotoxic effects when keratinocytes became growth arrested due to undergoing spontaneous replicative senescence--a biological state previously observed to be resistant to UV-light-induced apoptosis. Similarities between preparations included: an enhanced ability for both Apo2L/TRAIL preparations to kill a greater relative percentage of HaCaT cells compared with keratinocytes; enhanced cytotoxicity towards keratinocytes that had their NF-B activity inhibited; a dependence of both Apo2L/TRAIL preparations on FADD and caspase activation; triggering of the same caspase cascades including caspase 8 and 3; and an ability to induce apoptosis even when HaCaT cells and keratinocytes were transduced to overexpress either Bcl-2 or Bcl-x(L) (survival factors that reduce susceptibility to UV-light-induced apoptosis). These results indicate that while both preparations of Apo2L/TRAIL possess biological activity, there are important differences as regards their ability to induce apoptosis in normal and immortalized keratinocytes. Moreover, the death receptor pathway triggered by LZ-Apo2L/TRAIL can overcome the apoptotic resistance normally observed in response to UV-light mediated by Bcl-2/Bcl-x(L), as well as by the state of cellular senescence. Unraveling the molecular basis for these differential biological effects may reveal a new strategic role for these death receptor/ligands linked to apoptosis in maintaining the dynamic balance of keratinocyte proliferation, differentiation, and cell death necessary to achieve a homeostatic thickness and function of normal skin. In addition, it may be possible to utilize these Apo2L/TRAIL preparations for the treatment of various sun-induced skin cancers as they can differentially trigger apoptosis of transformed keratinocytes, or keratinocytes with abnormal NF-kappaB signaling, while sparing adjacent normal keratinocytes.
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PMID:Pathways involved in proliferating, senescent and immortalized keratinocyte cell death mediated by two different TRAIL preparations. 1247 65

The prostate apoptosis response-4 (par-4) gene was isolated in a differential screen for immediate-early genes that are up-regulated during apoptosis of prostate cancer cells. Unlike most other immediate-early genes, par-4 is exclusively induced during apoptosis. The expression or induction of par-4 is not restricted to prostatic cells. The par-4 gene is widely expressed in diverse normal tissues and cell types and conserved during evolution. Par-4 protein contains a leucine zipper domain that is essential for sensitization of cells to apoptosis. Functional studies indicate that par-4 expression is necessary to induce apoptosis. Par-4 protein may induce apoptosis by a p53-independent pathway that involves cytoplasmic inactivation of atypical protein kinase C isoforms resulting in down-regulation of MAP kinase activity and an up-regulation of p38 kinase activity. However, Par-4 is detected in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus, suggesting both cytoplasmic and nuclear roles for the pro-apoptotic protein. Interestingly, Par-4 is predicted to contain a death domain homologous to that of Fas or TRADD, and may therefore trigger a death cascade analogous to that of the death domain proteins. Par-4-dependent apoptosis is abrogated by Bcl-2 and by caspase inhibitors. Identification of the components of the p53-independent apoptosis pathway induced by Par-4 may help to further elucidate the mechanism of Par-4 action. Moreover, in view of the pro-apoptotic function of Par-4, its role in diseases, such as cancer and neurogenerative disorders, whose pathophysiology involves apoptotic cell death needs further investigation.
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PMID:Apoptosis mediated by a novel leucine zipper protein Par-4. 1464 2

The CEBPA gene is mutated in 10% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases. We find that CEBPA and Bcl-2 RNA levels correlate highly in low-risk human AMLs, suggesting that inhibition of apoptosis via induction of bcl-2 by CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha) or its mutant variants contributes to transformation. C/EBPalphap30, lacking a NH2-terminal transactivation domain, or C/EBPalphaLZ, carrying in-frame mutations in the leucine zipper that prevent DNA binding, induced bcl-2 in hematopoietic cell lines, and C/EBPalpha induced bcl-2 in normal murine myeloid progenitors and in the splenocytes of H2K-C/EBPalpha-Emu transgenic mice. C/EBPalpha protected Ba/F3 cells from apoptosis on interleukin-3 withdrawal but not if bcl-2 was knocked down. Remarkably, C/EBPalphaLZ oncoproteins activated the bcl-2 P2 promoter despite lack of DNA binding, and C/EBPalphap30 also activated the promoter. C/EBPalpha and the C/EBPalpha oncoproteins cooperated with nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) p50, but not p65, to induce bcl-2 transcription. Endogenous C/EBPalpha preferentially coimmunoprecipitated with p50 versus p65 in myeloid cell extracts. Mutation of residues 297 to 302 in the C/EBPalpha basic region prevented induction of endogenous bcl-2 or the bcl-2 promoter and interaction with p50 but not p65. These findings suggest that C/EBPalpha or its mutant variants tether to a subset of NF-kappaB target genes, including Bcl-2, via p50 to facilitate gene activation and offer an explanation for preferential in-frame rather than out-of-frame mutation of the leucine zipper with sparing of the basic region in C/EBPalphaLZ oncoproteins. Targeting interaction between C/EBPalpha basic region and NF-kappaB p50 may contribute to the therapy of AML and other malignancies expressing C/EBPs.
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PMID:CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha) and C/EBPalpha myeloid oncoproteins induce bcl-2 via interaction of their basic regions with nuclear factor-kappaB p50. 1625 92

Marek's disease (MD) is a lymphoproliferative disorder induced by a herpesvirus in chickens, its natural host. After an early cytolytic infection, the virus induces lymphomas in T-cells. These cells are latently infected with the virus, but very few viral transcripts or proteins are detectable. Although there are indications that some of these virus-encoded transcripts may be involved in tumourigenesis, the exact nature of the virus-cell interaction contributing towards the transformed phenotype is not completely understood. Among the transcripts the meq protein with basic leucine zipper (bZIP) characteristic of the fos/jun family of transcriptional activators is thought to play a major role in MDV-induced oncogenesis. Similarly the MDV-en-coded immediate early transcripts, ICP4, also seems to play an important role in latency and transformation. Apart from the virally-encoded factors, various host cell factors may be involved in the induction of tumours. Although not much work has been done in elucidating these factors, the possible role of tumour suppressor genes like p53, proto-oncogenes like Bcl-2 capable of blocking apoptosis, and telomerases in the induction of lymphomas are discussed. Some of the recent findings concerning the molecular mechanisms of interactions between MD virus and retroviruses are also presented.
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PMID:Molecular pathogenesis of Marek's disease-recent developments. 1864 17


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