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 homeostasis of animals is regulated not only by the growth and differentiation of cells, but also by cell death through a process known as apoptosis. Apoptosis is mediated by members of the caspase family of proteases, and eventually causes the degradation of chromosomal DNA. A caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease (CAD) and its inhibitor (ICAD) have now been identified in the cytoplasmic fraction of mouse lymphoma cells. CAD is a protein of 343 amino acids which carries a nuclear-localization signal; ICAD exists in a long and a short form. Recombinant ICAD specifically inhibits CAD-induced degradation of nuclear DNA and its DNase activity. When CAD is expressed with ICAD in COS cells or in a cell-free system, CAD is produced as a complex with ICAD: treatment with caspase 3 releases the DNase activity which causes DNA fragmentation in nuclei. ICAD therefore seems to function as a chaperone for CAD during its synthesis, remaining complexed with CAD to inhibit its DNase activity; caspases activated by apoptotic stimuli then cleave ICAD, allowing CAD to enter the nucleus and degrade chromosomal DNA.
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PMID:A caspase-activated DNase that degrades DNA during apoptosis, and its inhibitor ICAD. 942

Various molecules such as cytokines and anticancer drugs, as well as factor deprivation, rapidly induce apoptosis (programmed cell death), which is morphologically characterized by cell shrinkage and the blebbing of plasma membranes and by nuclear condensation. Caspases, particularly caspase 3, are proteases that are activated during apoptosis and which cleave substrates such as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, actin, fodrin, and lamin. Apoptosis is also accompanied by the internucleosomal degradation of chromosomal DNA. In the accompanying Article, we have identified and molecularly cloned a caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease (CAD) and its inhibitor (ICAD). Here we show that caspase 3 cleaves ICAD and inactivates its CAD-inhibitory effect. We identified two caspase-3 cleavage sites in ICAD by site-directed mutagenesis. When human Jurkat cells were transformed with ICAD-expressing plasmid, occupation of the receptor Fas, which normally triggers apoptosis, did not result in DNA degradation. The ICAD transformants were also resistant to staurosporine-induced DNA degradation, although staurosporine still killed the cells by activating caspase. Our results indicate that activation of CAD downstream of the caspase cascade is responsible for internucleosomal DNA degradation during apoptosis, and that ICAD works as an inhibitor of this process.
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PMID:Cleavage of CAD inhibitor in CAD activation and DNA degradation during apoptosis. 2641 41

Caspase-activated DNase (CAD) is responsible for the DNA fragmentation that occurs during apoptosis. CAD is complexed with an inhibitor of CAD (ICAD) in non-apoptotic, growing cells. Here, we report that mouse WR19L and human Jurkat T lymphoma cells express two alternative forms of ICAD, ICAD-L and ICAD-S, at similar levels. CAD was predominantly associated with ICAD-L in these cell lines. When CAD was expressed alone in Sf9 cells, it was found in insoluble fractions. However, when CAD was co-expressed with ICAD-L and ICAD-S, it was recovered as a soluble protein complexed predominantly with ICAD-L. In vitro transcription and translation of CAD cDNA did not produce a functional protein. Addition of ICAD-L but not ICAD-S to the assay mixture resulted in the synthesis of functional CAD. These results indicated that ICAD-L but not ICAD-S works as a specific chaperone for CAD, facilitating its correct folding during synthesis. Recombinant CAD, as a complex with ICAD-L, was then produced in Sf9 cells. The complex was treated with caspase 3, and CAD was purified to homogeneity. The purified CAD had DNase activity with a high specific activity.
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PMID:Functional differences of two forms of the inhibitor of caspase-activated DNase, ICAD-L, and ICAD-S. 1033 74

Penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose is structurally related to (-)-epigallocatechin gallate and is isolated from hydrolyzed tannin. Penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose can inhibit tumor promotion by teleocidin. We investigated the effects of penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose and various tea polyphenols on cell viability in human leukemia HL-60 cells. In this study, we demonstrated that penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose was able to induce apoptosis in a concentration- and time-dependent manner; however, other polyphenols were less effective. We further investigated the molecular mechanisms of penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose-induced apoptosis. Treatment with penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose caused induction of caspase-3/CPP32 activity in dose- and time-dependent manner, but not caspase-1 activity, and induced the degradation of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Pretreatment with acetyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-aldehyde (Ac-DEVD-CHO) and Z-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl-ketone (Z-VAD-FMK) inhibited penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose-induced DNA fragmentation. Furthermore, treatment with penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose (50 microM) caused a rapid loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into cytosol, and subsequent induction of procaspase-9 processing. Our results indicate that penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose allows caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease to enter the nucleus and degrade chromosomal DNA, and induces DFF-45 (DNA fragmentation factor) degradation. These results lead to a working hypothesis that penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose-induced apoptosis is triggered by the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol, procaspase-9 processing, activation of caspase-3, degradation of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and DNA fragmentation caused by the caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease through the digestion of DFF-45. The induction of apoptosis by penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose may provide a pivotal mechanism for its cancer chemopreventive action.
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PMID:Induction of apoptosis by penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose through activation of caspase-3 in human leukemia HL-60 cells. 1055 85

Selenium, an essential biological trace element, exerts its modulatory effects in a variety of cellular events including cell survival and death. In our study we observed that selenite protects HEK293 cells from cell death induced by ultraviolet B radiation (UVB). Exposure of HEK293 cells to UVB radiation resulted in the activation of caspase-3-like protease activity, and pretreatment of the cells with z-DEVD-fmk (N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-fluoromethylketone), a caspase-3 inhibitor, prevented UVB-induced cell death. Interestingly, enzymatic activity of caspase-3-like protease in cell lysates of UVB-exposed cells was repressed in vitro by the presence of selenite. Selenite also inhibited the in vitro activity of purified recombinant caspase-3 in cleaving Ac-DEVD-pNA (N-acetyl-Asp-Glu-Asp-p-nitroanilide) or ICAD(L) (inhibitor of a caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease) and in the induction of DNA fragmentation. The inhibitory action of selenite on a recombinant active caspase-3 could be reversed by sulfhydryl reducing agents, such as dithiothreitol and beta-mercaptoethanol. Furthermore, pretreatment of cells with selenite suppressed the stimulation of the caspase-3-like protease activity in UVB-exposed cells, whereas dithiothreitol and beta-mercaptoethanol reversed this suppression of the enzymatic activity. Taken together, our data suggest that selenite inhibits caspase-3-like protease activity through a redox mechanism and that inhibition of caspase-3-like protease activity may be the mechanism by which selenite exerts its protective effect against UVB-induced cell death.
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PMID:Selenite negatively regulates caspase-3 through a redox mechanism. 1072 85

Caspase-activated DNase (CAD) is an enzyme that cleaves chromosomal DNA in apoptotic cells. Here, we identified a DNase in Drosophila Schneider cells that can be activated by caspase 3, and purified it as a complex of two subunits (p32 and p20). Using primers based on the amino acid sequence of the purified proteins, a cDNA coding for Drosophila CAD (dCAD) was cloned. The polypeptide encoded by the cDNA contained 450 amino acids with a calculated M(r) of 52,057, and showed significant homology with human and mouse CAD (22% identity). Mammalian CADs carry a nuclear localization signal at the C terminus. In contrast, dCAD lacked the corresponding sequence, and the purified dCAD did not cause DNA fragmentation in nuclei in a cell-free system. When dCAD was co-expressed in COS cells with Drosophila inhibitor of CAD (dICAD), a 52-kDa dCAD was produced as a heterotetrameric complex with dICAD. When the complex was treated with human caspase 3 or Drosophila caspase (drICE), the dICAD was cleaved, and released from dCAD. In addition, dCAD was also cleaved by these caspases, and behaved as a (p32)(2)(p20)(2) complex in gel filtration. When a Drosophila neuronal cell line was induced to apoptosis by treatment with a kinase inhibitor, both dCAD and dICAD were cleaved. These results indicated that unlike mammalian CAD, Drosophila CAD must be cleaved by caspases to be activated.
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PMID:A novel activation mechanism of caspase-activated DNase from Drosophila melanogaster. 1077 99

Previous investigations have shown that maternal diabetes impairs rodent embryo development during the earliest phase of gestation. Exposure to high concentrations of glucose before implantation results in a decrease in the number of cells per embryo and in a concomitant increase in two nuclear markers of apoptosis, chromatin degradation and nuclear fragmentation. In the present study, we show that two intracellular effectors of apoptosis, caspase-3 and caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease (CAD), are involved in the embryotoxicity of high glucose. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry, we first demonstrated that these two effectors were expressed in rat blastocysts. The two effectors were detected in all the cells of the blastocysts and the immuno-signals were excluded from the nuclei. Rat blastocysts were incubated for 24 h in either 6 mM or 28 mM glucose in the presence or absence of specific inhibitors (DEVD-CHO [10 microM] against caspase-3 and aurin [1 microM] against CAD). After incubation, blastocysts were examined for the proportion of nuclei showing signs of chromatin degradation or nuclear fragmentation. Addition of DEVD-CHO or aurin was found to inhibit the increase in chromatin degradation induced by high glucose. None of these two inhibitors prevented the increase in nuclear fragmentation triggered by excess glucose. Our data indicate that chromatin degradation and nuclear fragmentation are two nuclear damages that are induced separately by high glucose in rat blastocysts. Chromatin degradation is apparently mediated by the activation of caspase-3 and CAD.
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PMID:Identification of caspase-3 and caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease in rat blastocysts and their implication in the induction of chromatin degradation (but not nuclear fragmentation) by high glucose. 1115 58

Caspase-activated DNase is responsible for the oligonucleosomal DNA degradation during apoptosis. DNA degradation is thought to be important for multicellular organisms to prevent oncogenic transformation or as a mechanism of viral defense. It has been reported that certain cells, including some neuroblastoma cell lines such as IMR-5, enter apoptosis without digesting DNA in such a way. We have analyzed the causes for the absence of DNA laddering in staurosporine-treated IMR-5 cells, and we have found that most of the molecular mechanisms controlling apoptosis are well preserved in this cell line. These include degradation of substrates for caspases, blockade of cell death by antiapoptotic genes such as Bcl-2 or Bcl-X(L), or normal levels and adequate activation of caspase-3. Moreover, these cells display normal levels of caspase-activated DNase and its inhibitory protein, inhibitor of caspase-activated DNase, and their cDNA sequences are identical to those reported previously. Nevertheless, IMR-5 cells lose caspase-activated DNase during apoptosis and recover their ability to degrade DNA when human recombinant caspase-activated DNase is overexpressed. Our results lead to the conclusion that caspase-activated DNase is processed during apoptosis of IMR-5 cells, making these cells a good model to study the relevance of this endonuclease in physiological or pathological conditions.
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PMID:The absence of oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation during apoptosis of IMR-5 neuroblastoma cells: disappearance of the caspase-activated DNase. 1129 34

This study examined the growth inhibitory effects of theasinensin A (from oolong tea) and black tea polyphenols, including theaflavin (TF-1), a mixture (TF-2) of theaflavin-3-gallate (TF-2a) and theaflavin-3'-gallate (TF-2b), and theaflavin-3,3'-digallate (TF-3) in human cancer cells. Theasinensin A, TF-1, and TF-2 displayed strong growth inhibitory effects against human histolytic lymphoma U937, with estimated IC50 values of 12 microM, but were less effective against human acute T cell leukemia Jurkat, whereas TF-3 and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) had lower activities. The molecular mechanisms of tea polyphenol-induced apoptosis as determined by annexin V apoptosis assay, DNA fragmentation, and caspase activation were further investigated. Loss of membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were also detected by flow cytometry. Treatment with tea polyphenols caused rapid induction of caspase-3, but not caspase-1, activity and stimulated proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Pretreatment with a potent caspase-3 inhibitor, Z-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone, inhibited theasinensin A induced DNA fragmentation. Furthermore, it was found that theasinensin A induced loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, elevation of ROS production, release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into the cytosol, and subsequent induction of caspase-9 activity. These results indicate that theasinensin A allows caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease to enter the nucleus and degrade chromosomal DNA and induces DFF-45 (DNA fragmentation factor) degradation. The results suggest that induction of apoptosis by theasinensin A may provide a pivotal mechanism for their cancer chemopreventive function.
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PMID:Induction of apoptosis by the oolong tea polyphenol theasinensin A through cytochrome c release and activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3 in human U937 cells. 1131 5

Garcinol, a polyisoprenylated benzophenone, was purified from Garcinia indica fruit rind. The effects of garcinol and curcumin on cell viability in human leukemia HL-60 cells were investigated. Garcinol and curcumin displayed strong growth inhibitory effects against human leukemia HL-60 cells, with estimated IC(50) values of 9.42 and 19.5 microM, respectively. Garcinol was able to induce apoptosis in a concentration- and time-dependent manner; however, curcumin was less effective. Treatment with garcinol caused induction of caspase-3/CPP32 activity in a dose- and time-dependent manner, but not caspase-1 activity, and induced the degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Pretreatment with caspase-3 inhibitor inhibited garcinol-induced DNA fragmentation. Treatment with garcinol (20 microM) caused a rapid loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into cytosol, and subsequent induction of procaspase-9 processing. The cleavage of D4-GDI, an abundant hematopoietic cell GDP dissociation inhibitor for the Ras-related Rho family GTPases, occurred simultaneously with the activation of caspase-3 but preceded DNA fragmentation and the morphological changes associated with apoptotic cell death. Of these, Bcl-2, Bad, and Bax were studied. The level of expression of Bcl-2 slightly decreased, while the levels of Bad and Bax were dramatically increased in cells treated with garcinol. These results indicate that garcinol allows caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease to enter the nucleus and degrade chromosomal DNA and induces DFF-45 (DNA fragmentation factor) degradation. It is suggested that garcinol-induced apoptosis is triggered by the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol, procaspase-9 processing, activation of caspase-3 and caspase-2, degradation of PARP, and DNA fragmentation caused by the caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease through the digestion of DFF-45. The induction of apoptosis by garcinol may provide a pivotal mechanism for its cancer chemopreventive action.
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PMID:Induction of apoptosis by garcinol and curcumin through cytochrome c release and activation of caspases in human leukemia HL-60 cells. 1131 81


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