Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P42574 (caspase-3)
 45,978 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The Bcl-2 family member Bcl-xL has often been correlated with apoptosis resistance. We have shown recently that in peripheral human T cells resistance to CD95-mediated apoptosis is characterized by a lack of caspase-8 recruitment to the CD95 death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) and by increased expression of Bcl-xL (Peter, M. E., Kischkel, F. C., Scheuerpflug, C. G., Medema, J. P., Debatin, K.-M., and Krammer, P. H. (1997) Eur. J. Immunol. 27, 1207-1212). This raises the possibility that Bcl-xL directly prevents caspase-8 activation by the DISC. To test this hypothesis a cell line in which CD95 signaling was inhibited by overexpression of Bcl-xL was used. In these MCF7-Fas-bcl-xL cells Bcl-xL had no effect on the recruitment of caspase-8 to the DISC. It did not affect the activity of the DISC nor the generation of the caspase-8 active subunits p18 and p10. In contrast, cleavage of a typical substrate for caspase-3-like proteases, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, was inhibited in comparison with the control-transfected CD95-sensitive MCF7-Fas cells. To test whether Bcl-xL would inhibit active caspase-8 subunits in the cytoplasm, a number of immunoprecipitation experiments were performed. Using monoclonal antibodies directed against different domains of caspase-8, anti-Bcl-xL antibodies, or fusion proteins of glutathione S-transferase with different domains of caspase-8, no evidence for a direct or indirect physical interaction between caspase-8 and Bcl-xL was found. Moreover, overexpression of Bcl-xL did not inhibit the activity of the caspase-8 active subunits p18/p10. Therefore, in this cell line that has become resistant to CD95-induced apoptosis due to overexpression of Bcl-xL, Bcl-xL acts independently and downstream of caspase-8.
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PMID:Bcl-xL acts downstream of caspase-8 activation by the CD95 death-inducing signaling complex. 945 59

In this study, both NIH3T3 and Bcl-2 transfected NIH3T3 cells were examined for their propensity to undergo nitroso compound-induced apoptosis. Bcl-2-expressing NIH3T3 prevented N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)- and S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO)-induced apoptosis as compared with the control NIH3T3 cells. Flow cytometry revealed that NIH3T3 cells treated with MNNG undergo apoptotic death, which occurred after G2-M arrest in the second cycle of cell proliferation. The mechanism of MNNG-induced NIH3T3 cells apoptosis was observed throughout the activation of caspase-3 protease, PARP degradation and cytochrome c release; it was independent of p53 activation. Glutathione-S-transferanse pi (GST pi) is activated through the transcription activation of antioxidant response element (ARE) during MNNG- and GSNO-induced cell apoptosis. Moreover, overexpression of Bcl-2 in NIH3T3 cells can prevent these features of cell death. Furthermore, both MNNG- and GSNO-induced apoptosis of NIH3T3 cells were accompanied with a decrease in the level of glutathione (GSH); whereas Bcl-2 overexpression led to an increase in total cellular glutathione. MNNG was metabolized rapidly to nitric oxide that reacted with glutathione under the catalysis of GSH transferase in NIH3T3 cell to form GSNO. In short, the production of GSNO in cells was found capable of apoptosis initiation while the overexpression of Bcl-2 can prevent MNNG-mediated cell apoptosis through the elevation of glutathione levels.
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PMID:Suppression of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine- and S-nitrosoglutathione-induced apoptosis by Bcl-2 through inhibiting glutathione-S-transferase pi in NIH3T3 cells. 1059 28

Treatment of U937 cells with various apoptosis-inducing agents, such as TNFalpha and beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) alone or in combination with the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), bryostatin 1 or cycloheximide, causes proteolytic cleavage of protein kinase Cmu (PKCmu) between the regulatory and catalytic domain, generating a 62 kDa catalytic fragment of the kinase. The formation of this fragment is effectively suppressed by the caspase-3 inhibitor Z-DEVD-FMK. In accordance with these in vivo data, treatment of recombinant PKCmu with caspase-3 in vitro results also in the generation of a 62 kDa fragment (p62). Treatment of several aspartic acid to alanine mutants of PKCmu with caspase-3 resulted in an unexpected finding. PKCmu is not cleaved at one of the typical cleavage sites containing the motif DXXD but at the atypical site CQND378/S379. The respective fragment (amino acids 379-912) was expressed in bacteria as a GST fusion protein (GST-p62) and partially purified. In contrast to the intact kinase, the fragment does not respond to the activating cofactors TPA and phosphatidylserine and is thus unable to phosphorylate substrates effectively.
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PMID:Proteolytic cleavage of protein kinase Cmu upon induction of apoptosis in U937 cells. 1062 42

The rate of osteoblast apoptosis is a critical determinant of the rate of bone formation. Because the calcium-binding protein calbindin-D(28k) has anti-apoptotic properties in neuronal cells and lymphocytes, we searched for the presence of this protein in osteoblastic cells and investigated whether it can modify their response to proapoptotic signals. Calbindin-D(28K) was expressed at low levels in several osteoblastic cell lines and at high levels in primary cultures of murine osteoblastic cells. Transient transfection of rat calbindin-D(28k) cDNA blocked tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha)-induced apoptosis in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells, as determined by cell viability and nuclear morphology of cells cotransfected with the green fluorescent protein targeted to the nucleus, whereas transfection of the empty vector had no effect. Calbindin-D(28k) levels in several stably transfected MC3T3-E1 lines were directly related to protection from TNFalpha-induced apoptosis. Purified rat calbindin-D(28k) markedly reduced the activity of caspase-3, a critical molecule for the degradation phase of apoptosis, in a cell-free assay. In addition, cell extracts from MC3T3-E1 cells expressing high levels of calbindin-D(28k) decreased caspase-3 activity, compared with extracts from vector-transfected cells. This effect was apparently unrelated to the calcium binding properties of calbindin, as chelation of calcium by EGTA or addition of other calcium-binding proteins such as calbindin-D(9k), S100, calmodulin, and osteocalcin, did not affect caspase-3 activity. Last, calbindin-D(28k) interacts with the active form of caspase-3 as demonstrated by a GST pull-down assay. These results demonstrate that calbindin-D(28k) is a biosynthetic product of osteoblasts with a role in the regulation of apoptosis. They also reveal that the antiapoptotic properties of calbindin-D(28k) may result not only from calcium buffering but also from the ability of the protein to interact with and to inhibit caspase-3 activity, a property that is independent of its calcium binding capability.
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PMID:Calbindin-D28k is expressed in osteoblastic cells and suppresses their apoptosis by inhibiting caspase-3 activity. 1083 28

Clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) are involved in protein and lipid trafficking between intracellular compartments in eukaryotic cells. CCVs are composed of clathrin and assembly proteins. The clathrin assembly protein lymphoid myeloid leukemia (CALM) gene, encodes a homologoue of the neuronal clathrin assembly protein AP180. In this study, we characterized the properties of the CALM expressed in E. coli. The molecular weight of bacterially expressed GST-CALM fusion protein was approximately 105 kD on SDS-PAGE. The CALM protein could promote clathrin triskelia into clathrin cages and could bind the preformed clathrin cage. However, 33 kD N-terminal domain of CALM could not bind pre-assembled clathrin cages, but assemble clathrin triskelia into clathrin cages. The CALM protein was bound to SH3 domain through N-terminal domain1, in vitro. The CALM protein is proteolyzed by caspase 3, caspase 8 and calpain through C-terminal domain.
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PMID:Properties of GST-CALM expressed in E. coli. 1092 22

Abrin A-chain (ABRA) inhibits protein synthesis by its N-glycosidase activity as well as induces apoptosis, but the molecular mechanism of ABRA-induced cell death has been obscure. Using an ABRA mutant that lacks N-glycosidase activity as bait in a yeast two-hybrid system, a 30-kDa antioxidant protein-1 (AOP-1) was found to be an ABRA(E164Q)-interacting protein. The interaction was further confirmed in vitro by a glutathione S-transferase pull-down assay. The colocalization of endogenous AOP-1 and exogenous ABR proteins in the cell was demonstrated by confocal immunofluorescence. We also demonstrated that ABRA attenuates AOP-1 antioxidant activity in a dose-dependent manner and the intracellular level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increases in ABR-treated cells. Moreover, ROS scavengers N-acetylcysteine and 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl delayed programmed cell death. This indicates that ROS are important mediators of ABR-induced apoptosis. When ectopically expressed, AOP-1 blocked the release of cytochrome c and prevented apoptosis in ABR-treated cells. These findings suggest that the binding of ABRA to AOP-1 promotes apoptosis by inhibiting the mitochondrial antioxidant protein AOP-1, resulting in the increase of intracellular ROS and the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytosol, which activates caspase-9 and caspase-3.
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PMID:Abrin triggers cell death by inactivating a thiol-specific antioxidant protein. 1128 61

The mammalian alpha-class glutathione S-transferase (GST) isozymes mGSTA4-4, rGSTA4-4, and hGSTA4-4 are known to utilize 4-hydroxynonenal (4HNE) as a preferred substrate. During the present studies, we have examined the effect of transfecting human myeloid HL-60 cells with mGSTA4, on 4-HNE-induced apoptosis and the associated signaling mechanisms. Results of these studies show that treatment of the wild-type or vector-only-transfected HL-60 cells with 20 microM 4-HNE caused apoptosis within 2 h. The cells transfected with mGSTA4 did not undergo apoptosis under these conditions even after 4 h. In the wild-type and vector-transfected cells, apoptosis was preceded by JNK activation and c-Jun phosphorylation within 30 min, and an increase in AP-1 binding within 2 h of treatment with 20 microM 4-HNE. In mGSTA4-transfected cells, JNK activation and c-Jun phosphorylation were observed after 1 h, and increased AP-1 binding was observed after 8 h under these conditions. In the control cells, 20 microM 4-HNE caused caspase 3 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage within 2 h, while in mGSTA4-transfected cells, a lesser degree of these effects was observed even after 8 h. Transfection with mGSTA4 also provided protection to the cells from 4-HNE and doxorubicin cytotoxicity (1.6- and 2.6-fold, respectively). These results show that 4-HNE mediates apoptosis through its effects on JNK and caspase 3, and that 4-HNE metabolizing GST isozyme(s) may be important in the regulation of this pathway of oxidative-stress-induced apoptosis.
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PMID:Transfection of mGSTA4 in HL-60 cells protects against 4-hydroxynonenal-induced apoptosis by inhibiting JNK-mediated signaling. 1148 93

Fully grown starfish oocytes are arrested at prophase of meiosis I. The hormonal stimulation of 1-methyladenine (1-MA) induces meiosis reinitiation and germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). Optimal development occurs when maturing oocytes are fertilized between GVBD and first polar body emission. In the absence of sperm, oocytes complete both meiotic divisions to yield haploid interphase-arrested eggs. We now report that spontaneous and synchronous activation of caspase-3 in starfish eggs occurs 9-12 h after 1-MA stimulation. Then, caspase-dependent membrane blebbing and egg fragmentation occur, indicating that mature eggs undergo apoptosis if not fertilized. Activation of caspase-3 and induction of apoptosis are blocked both by a MEK inhibitor and by emetine treatment which inhibits MEK kinase (Mos) synthesis. Conversely, when recombinant GST-Mos is injected into the emetine-treated eggs, apoptosis is induced. These results indicate that persistent activation of the Mos/MEK/MAP kinase cascade gives the death-activating signal in starfish eggs. Fertilization inactivates the MAP kinase pathway and suppresses apoptosis, followed by normal development.
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PMID:Fertilization blocks apoptosis of starfish eggs by inactivation of the MAP kinase pathway. 1151 2

A conjugate of doxorubicin and glutathione via glutaraldehyde (GSH-DXR) inhibited glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity of rat hepatoma AH66 cells, and treatment of the cells with GSH-DXR induced caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation. After treatment of AH66 cells with 0.1 microM GSH-DXR, GST-P (placental type of rat GST isozymes) mRNA and its protein increased transiently and then decreased thereafter compared with the levels in nontreated cells. Caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation were induced following the suppression of GST-P expression by treatment with GSH-DXR. When the cells were treated with 100 microM ethacrynic acid (ECA), an inhibitor of GST, DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activation were observed. In contrast, treatment of AH66 cells with a low concentration of ECA (1 microM) that showed little inhibition of GST activity induced slight, but significantly enhanced expression and activity of GST-P, and consequent prevention of DXR- and GSH-DXR-induced DNA fragmentation. Overexpression of GST-pi (placental type of human GST isozymes) by transfection of GST-pi sense cDNA into AH66 cells decreased sensitivities to DXR and GSH-DXR, and the suppression of GST-P by transfection of the antisense cDNA into the cells increased drug sensitivity. On the other hand, there was little change in drug sensitivity caused by overexpression of site-directedly mutated GST-P in which the active-site residue Tyr39 was replaced with His (W39H) or the substrate-binding site residue Cys48 was replaced with Ser (C48S) by transfection of those cDNAs into AH66 cells. These results suggested that the suppression of GST-P in AH66 cells treated with GSH-DXR must play an important role in the induction of apoptosis.
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PMID:Suppression of GST-P by treatment with glutathione-doxorubicin conjugate induces potent apoptosis in rat hepatoma cells. 1166 94

Galectin-7 is normally expressed in all types of stratified epithelia, but is significantly down-regulated in squamous cell carcinomas. This protein was recently found to be highly inducible by p53 in a colon carcinoma cell line, DLD-1, and designated as PIG1 (for p53-induced gene 1). We studied transfectants of HeLa and DLD-1 cells ectopically expressing this protein and found that they were more susceptible to apoptosis than control transfectants. This was observed in apoptosis induced by mechanistically distinct stimuli, suggesting that galectin-7 acts on a common point in the apoptosis signaling pathways. Further analyses of actinomycin D-induced apoptosis demonstrated that galectin-7 expression causes enhanced caspase-3 activity and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, and the potentiation of apoptosis by galectin-7 was completely abrogated by a caspase inhibitor, benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone. In addition, galectin-7 transfectants displayed accelerated mitochondrial cytochrome c release and up-regulated JNK activity upon apoptosis induction. Several lines of evidence indicate that the effect on apoptosis is not due to the lectin functioning extracellularly through interactions with cell surface glycoconjugates. In fact, this lectin is found to localize in nuclei and cytoplasm of the transfectants and the transformed keratinocyte line HaCaT. Therefore, galectin-7 is a pro-apoptotic protein that functions intracellularly upstream of JNK activation and cytochrome c release. DNA microarray analysis revealed genes that are differentially expressed between galectin-7 and control transfectants. Some of them are potentially contributory to this lectin's proapoptotic function and these include redox-related genes monoamine oxidase B, ryanodine receptor 2, and glutathione S-transferase Mu 3.
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PMID:Galectin-7 (PIG1) exhibits pro-apoptotic function through JNK activation and mitochondrial cytochrome c release. 1170 6


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