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)

Doxorubicin is an important component of combination therapy for muscle-invasive urinary bladder cancer. Treatment with this topoisomerase II poison is able to interfere with cell cycle progression and lead to cancer cell death. Using FACS analysis, Western immunoblotting and semi-quantitative RT-PCR, we studied the effects of doxorubicin on cell cycle progression and apoptosis, and also explored the possibility of using groups of genes as biomarkers of prognosis and/or response to doxorubicin treatment in human urinary bladder cancer cells. Doxorubicin induced dose-dependent G2/M and/or G1/S cell cycle arrest, followed by grade- and dose-dependent reduction in the amount of the cytosolic trimeric form of FasL, activation of Caspase-8, Caspase-9, Caspase-3, cleavage of PARP, Lamin A/C, Bcl-XL/S and interestingly Hsp90, and finally cell death. Data presented here also suggest the use of the expression patterns of Cyclin-E2, Cyclin-F, p63, p73, FasL, TRAIL, Tweak, Tweak-R, XAF-1, OPG and Bok genes for identification of the differentiation grade, and Cyclin-B2, GADD45A, p73, FasL, Bik, Bim, TRAIL, Fas, Tweak-R, XAF-1, Bcl-2, Survivin, OPG, DcR2 and Bcl-XL genes for the detection of response to doxorubicin in human bladder cancer cells.
 ...
PMID:Grade-dependent effects on cell cycle progression and apoptosis in response to doxorubicin in human bladder cancer cell lines. 1908 86

Apoptosis is a potent immune barrier against viral infection, and many viruses, including poxviruses, encode proteins to overcome this defense. Interestingly, the avipoxviruses, which include fowlpox and canarypox virus, are the only poxviruses known to encode proteins with obvious Bcl-2 sequence homology. We previously characterized the fowlpox virus protein FPV039 as a Bcl-2-like antiapoptotic protein that inhibits apoptosis by interacting with and inactivating the proapoptotic cellular protein Bak. However, both Bak and Bax can independently trigger cell death. Thus, to effectively inhibit apoptosis, a number of viruses also inhibit Bax. Here we show that FPV039 inhibited apoptosis induced by Bax overexpression and prevented both the conformational activation of Bax and the subsequent formation of Bax oligomers at the mitochondria, two critical steps in the induction of apoptosis. Additionally, FPV039 interacted with activated Bax in the context of Bax overexpression and virus infection. Importantly, the ability of FPV039 to interact with active Bax and inhibit Bax activity was dependent on the structurally conserved BH3 domain of FPV039, even though this domain possesses little sequence homology to other BH3 domains. FPV039 also inhibited apoptosis induced by the BH3-only proteins, upstream activators of Bak and Bax, despite interacting detectably with only two: BimL and Bik. Collectively, our data suggest that FPV039 inhibits apoptosis by sequestering and inactivating multiple proapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins, including certain BH3-only proteins and both of the critical "gatekeepers" of apoptosis, Bak and Bax.
 ...
PMID:The fowlpox virus BCL-2 homologue, FPV039, interacts with activated Bax and a discrete subset of BH3-only proteins to inhibit apoptosis. 1943 72

Cisplatin is a first-line chemotherapeutic agent and a powerful component of standard treatment regimens for several human malignancies including bladder cancer. DNA-Pt adducts produced by cisplatin are mainly responsible for cellular toxicity and induction of apoptosis. Identification of the mechanisms that control sensitivity to cisplatin is central to improving its therapeutic index and to successfully encountering the acquired resistance frequently emerging during therapy. In the present study, using MTT-based assays, Western blotting and semi-quantitative RT-PCR, we examined the apoptosis-related cellular responses to cisplatin exposure in two human urinary bladder cancer cell lines characterized by different malignancy grade and p53 genetic status. Both RT4 (grade I; wild-type p53) and T24 (grade III; mutant p53) cell types proved to be vulnerable to cisplatin apoptotic activity, albeit in a grade-dependent and drug dose-specific manner, as demonstrated by the proteolytic processing profiles of Caspase-8, Caspase-9, Caspase-3, and the Caspase repertoire characteristic substrates PARP and Lamin A/C, as well. The differential resistance of RT4 and T24 cells to cisplatin-induced apoptosis was associated with an RT4-specific phosphorylation (Ser15; Ser392) pattern of p53, together with structural amputations of the Akt and XIAP anti-apoptotic regulators. Furthermore, cisplatin administration resulted in a Granzyme B-mediated proteolytic cleavage of Hsp90 molecular chaperone, exclusively occurring in RT4 cells. To generate functional networks, expression analysis of a number of genes, including Bik, Bim, Bcl-2, FAP-1, Fas, FasL, TRAIL, Puma, Caspase-10, ATP7A, ATP7B and MRP1, was performed, strongly supporting the role of p53-dependent and p53-independent transcriptional responses in cisplatin-induced apoptosis of bladder cancer cells.
 ...
PMID:Human bladder cancer cells undergo cisplatin-induced apoptosis that is associated with p53-dependent and p53-independent responses. 1957 56

Apoptosis, a form of cell death by self-destruction, has been reported in gametes and preimplantation embryos both in vitro and in vivo. Recent evidence suggests that cell death processes, whose control deserves to be elucidated, can impact embryo developmental competence. Moreover, quality of the gametes (particularly of the oocytes) is relevant not only for their survival rates but exert an influence during the early stages of embryo development. Thus, the investigation of apoptosis-related genes and mechanisms in early embryos is crucial. BCL-2 family proteins, through balanced interactions between pro- and anti-death members, play a pivotal role in controlling cell life and death. In this article, we review the literature concerning the expression of Bcl-2 family members in gametes and early embryos. Research results indicate that the various Bcl-2 subfamilies (pro- and anti-apoptotic "multidomain" family members and "BH3-only" death factors) exhibit a dynamic expression pattern during male and female gamete differentiation and early embryo development. While pro-apoptotic Bax protein plays a critical role in germ cell and early embryo degeneration, the relative importance of the prosurvival (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bcl-w, Mcl-1) and "BH3-only" (Bim, Bad, Bik) members is not clear. Although information on expression patterns of Bcl-2 family transcripts and proteins is necessary, other elements such as transcriptional control (by environmental stimuli), subcellular localization and post-translational modifications should also be taken into account. Aside from basic research, a better understanding of apoptosis-related proteins and mechanisms involved in gamete and embryo viability at the molecular level may provide new guides for diagnosis and therapeutic strategies.
 ...
PMID:[The Bcl-2 family pathway in gametes and preimplantation embryos]. 1968 42

Type 2 diabetes is a complex disorder with a strong genetic background. CDC2L2 is one of the susceptibility genes of type 2 diabetes in Chinese Han population in northern area. The relationship between CDC2L2 and type 2 diabetes remains unknown. In this paper, the function and its molecular pathway of p58, a protein coded by CDC2L2, in beta cell apoptosis were investigated. INS-1 cells cultured in high glucose (20 mmol/L) medium were divided into control, vector control (transfected with pcDNA3.0) and experimental (transfected with pcDNA3.0-HA-p58) groups. Beta cell apoptosis level was detected by Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining assay. The flow cytometry results showed that in high glucose medium (20 mmol/L), high expression of p58 increased beta cell apoptosis significantly compared with that in blank and vector controls (P<0.01, P<0.05). Western blot revealed that the expressions of Caspase-3, Bax and cytochrome C in cytoplasm increased significantly (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.01), whereas the expression of Bcl-2 decreased significantly (P<0.05) in the INS-1 cells with high expression of p58, compared with those in both control groups. However, the Bad and Bik expression levels of INS-1 cells did not show obviously changes compared with those in both controls. The above results suggest that in high glucose condition, p58 may induce INS-1 cell apoptosis through up-regulating the expression of Bax and down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2, since both of them could promote the release of cytochrome C into cytoplasm, and finally activate Caspase-3. These results provide an important basis for the further exploration of the molecular mechanism of beta cell apoptosis induced by CDC2L2.
 ...
PMID:[Molecular mechanism of beta cell apoptosis induced by p58 in high glucose medium]. 1970 91

We have previously shown that the Orf virus protein, ORFV125, is a potent inhibitor of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis and displays rudimentary sequence similarities to cellular anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins. Here we investigate the proposal that ORFV125 acts in a Bcl-2-like manner to inhibit apoptosis. We show that the viral protein interacted with a range of BH3-only proteins (Bik, Puma, DP5, Noxa and all 3 isoforms of Bim) and neutralized their pro-apoptotic activity. In addition, ORFV125 bound to the active, but not the inactive, form of Bax, and reduced the formation of Bax dimers. Mutation of specific amino acids in ORFV125 that are conserved and functionally important in mammalian Bcl-2 family proteins led to loss of both binding and inhibitory functions. We conclude that ORFV125's mechanism of action is Bcl-2-like and propose that the viral protein's combined ability to bind to a range of BH3-only proteins as well as the active form of Bax provides significant protection against apoptosis. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the binding profile of ORFV125 is distinct to that of other poxviral Bcl-2-like proteins.
 ...
PMID:The orf virus inhibitor of apoptosis functions in a Bcl-2-like manner, binding and neutralizing a set of BH3-only proteins and active Bax. 1977 21

Bcl-xL, a member of Bcl-2 protein family functioned as dominant regulators of apoptotic cell death, has been reported to play important roles in malignant transformation and tumor development. In the present study, our aim was to explore the roles of Bcl-xL overexpression and determine its possibility as a therapeutic target in human osteosarcoma. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot or immunohistochemistry assays were performed to detect the expression of Bcl-xL mRNA and protein in human osteosarcoma cell lines or tissue samples. The expression of other Bcl-2 family proteins (Bcl-2, Mcl-1, Bim and Bik) in osteosarcoma tissues was also detected by immunohistochemistry. The associations of Bcl-xL mRNA expression with clinicopathologic factors and prognosis of osteosarcoma patients were evaluated. RNA interference or gene overexpression technologies were employed to downregulate or upregulate endogenous Bcl-xL expression in osteosarcoma cells and the effects of Bcl-xL downregulation or upregulation on phenotypes and chemo- or radiosensitivity of human osteosarcoma cells were analyzed. Finally, the mechanism of synergistic effects of Bcl-xL downregulation and chemo- or radiotherapy was explored by detecting the activity of caspase-3. The expression levels of Bcl-xL mRNA and protein in high metastatic osteosarcoma cells showed higher than those in low metastatic osteosarcoma cells. Moreover, the levels of Bcl-xL mRNA expression were significantly higher in osteosarcoma tissues than those in chondroma or corresponding non-tumor tissues (P<0.01), and osteosarcoma tissues showed stronger immunostaining of Bcl-xL protein than non-tumor tissues. The stronger staining of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 proteins was also observed, while the staining of pro-apoptotic proteins (Bim and Bik) was significantly weaker or not detected in osteosarcoma tissues. The higher levels of Bcl-xL mRNA expression were significantly correlated with advanced clinical stage (P=0.005) or hematogenous metastasis (P=0.001) of osteosarcoma patients. Osteosarcoma patients with higher Bcl-xL mRNA expression showed a poorer survival compared with those with lower expression (P=0.039). Bcl-xL downregulation or upregulation could significantly reduce or increase the proliferation capacity of osteosarcoma cells. Furthermore, Bcl-xL downregulation could significantly enhance in vitro chemo- or radiosensitivity of osteosarcoma cells, which might be associated with elevated activity of caspase-3. Taken together, overexpression of Bcl-xL may play important roles in osteosarcoma progression and this molecule will be a potential chemo- or radiotherapeutic molecular target for osteosarcoma therapy.
 ...
PMID:Functional and biological analysis of Bcl-xL expression in human osteosarcoma. 2058 Sep 54

The transcription factor Gata3 is essential for the development of sympathetic neurons and adrenal chromaffin cells. As Gata3 expression is maintained up to the adult stage, we addressed its function in differentiated sympathoadrenal cells at embryonic and adult stages by conditional Gata3 elimination. Inactivation of Gata3 in embryonic DBH-expressing neurons elicits a strong reduction in neuron numbers due to apoptotic cell death and reduced proliferation. No selective effect on noradrenergic gene expression (TH and DBH) was observed. Interestingly, Gata3 elimination in DBH-expressing neurons of adult animals also results in a virtually complete loss of sympathetic neurons. In the Gata3-deficient population, the expression of anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and NFkappaB) is diminished, whereas the expression of pro-apoptotic genes (Bik, Bok, and Bmf) was increased. The expression of noradrenergic genes (TH and DBH) is not affected. These results demonstrate that Gata3 is continuously required for maintaining survival but not differentiation in the sympathetic neuron lineage up to mature neurons of adult animals.
 ...
PMID:The Gata3 transcription factor is required for the survival of embryonic and adult sympathetic neurons. 2070 12

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in immune modulation, inflammatory reactions, and target cell death in many pathologic conditions. The cell death pathways triggered by TNF include the caspase-8/Bid-dependent apoptotic pathway and the caspase-independent necrosis pathway (necroptosis). While the signaling pathways activated after binding of TNF to the TNF receptor (TNFR) and subsequent insertion of Bid/Bax/Bik into the outer mitochondrial membrane are relatively well known, other cell death pathways and the participating signaling molecules remain to be clarified. BNip3 is a pro-death protein and a member of the BH3-only Bcl-2 family. When ectopically overexpressed or induced by hypoxia, BNip3 induces various types of cell death via mitochondrial or non-mitochondrial death cascades. In this study using A549 alveolar epithelial cells of the lung, we show that BNip3 is transcriptionally and translationally upregulated by TNF, and its expression level determines the sensitivity to necroptosis induced by TNF. However, BNip3 does not appear to be involved in caspase-8/Bid-dependent apoptotic cell death in these alveolar lung cells. Finally, we show that the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is essential for mitochondrial insertion of BNip3, which is an important step in BNip3-induced mitochondrial catastrophe. Our results indicate that BNip3 is a candidate therapeutic target in pathologic conditions in which TNF causes tissue damage.
 ...
PMID:BNip3 is a mediator of TNF-induced necrotic cell death. 2096 96

While there is a clear connection between apoptosis and autophagy, the mechanisms that regulate the interaction have been difficult to identify. The initial clue to the link was the observation that Bcl-2 was located at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where it could prevent some forms of apoptosis and also bind to the autophagy regulatory protein Beclin-1. However, both of these enigmatic observations have been united with the discovery of the nutrient-deprivation autophagy factor-1 (NAF-1) protein. As an ER-localized protein that enhances the interaction of Bcl-2 and Beclin-1 and that also binds to the pro-apoptotic protein Bik, NAF-1 is perfectly placed to be a central regulator of the switch between autophagy and apoptosis.
 ...
PMID:Closing in on the link between apoptosis and autophagy. 2128


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