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)

Skp1-cullin-F-box protein (SCF) is a multicomponent E3 ubiquitin (Ub) ligase that ubiquitinates a number of important biologic molecules such as p27, beta-catenin, and IkappaB for proteasomal degradation, thus regulating cell proliferation and survival. One SCF component, SAG/ROC2/Rbx2/Hrt2, a RING finger protein, was first identified as a redox-inducible protein, which, when overexpressed, inhibited apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. We report here that sensitive to apoptosis gene (SAG), as well as its family member ROC1/Rbx1, bound to the proinactive form of caspase-3 (pro-caspase-3). Binding was likely mediated through F-box protein, beta-transducin repeat-containing protein (beta-TrCP), which binds to the first 38 amino acids of pro-caspase-3. Importantly, beta-TrCP1 expression significantly shortened the protein half-life of pro-caspase-3, whereas expression of a dominant-negative beta-TrCP1 mutant with the F-box domain deleted extended it. An in vitro ubiquitination assay showed that SAG/ROC-SCF(beta-TrCP) promoted ubiquitination of pro-caspase-3. Furthermore, endogenous levels of pro-caspase-3 were decreased by overexpression of SAG/ROC-SCF(beta-TrCP) E3 Ub ligases, but increased on siRNA silencing of SAG, regulator of cullin-1 (ROC1), or beta-TrCPs, leading to increased apoptosis by etoposide and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand through increased activation of caspase-3. Thus, pro-caspase-3 appears to be a substrate of SAG/ROC-SCF(beta-TrCP) E3 Ub ligase, which protects cells from apoptosis through increased apoptosis threshold by reducing the basal level of pro-caspase-3.
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PMID:SAG/ROC-SCF beta-TrCP E3 ubiquitin ligase promotes pro-caspase-3 degradation as a mechanism of apoptosis protection. 1721 22

Control of apoptosis via death ligands plays a basic role for lymphocyte homeostasis and lymphoma development. In this study, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) cell lines revealed pronounced resistance to death ligands as compared to cell lines of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). The proapoptotic activity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha was blocked, sensitivity to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand was significantly reduced, and 1/4 CTCL cell lines was resistant to CD95 activation. In parallel, there was no activation of effector caspase-3 and initiator caspase-8 in nonresponsive CTCL cells, whereas caspase-10 was cleaved selectively in sensitive CTCL cells. No indication for a responsibility of typical downstream regulators of apoptosis was obtained, but loss of CD95 was found in 1/4, loss of TNF-R1 in 3/4, loss of caspase-10 in 2/4, loss of Bid in 1/4, and overexpression of cellular flice inhibitory protein was found in 4/4 CTCL cell lines. This clearly indicates an inhibition of apoptosis early in the extrinsic cascade, namely at the formation of the death-inducing signaling complex. Parallels with regard to expression of apoptosis regulators were seen in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and biopsies of CTCL patients. This study may indicate defects in apoptosis in CTCL and may help to guide CTCL therapy.
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PMID:Blockade of death receptor-mediated pathways early in the signaling cascade coincides with distinct apoptosis resistance in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cells. 1749 57

OX40, a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF-R) superfamily, has been shown to play an important role in the survival of antigen-specific CD4(+) T cells. We have previously reported that stimulation of the OX40-expressing and HIV-1 chronically infected T cell line, ACH-2/OX40, with either OX40 ligand (OX40L)-expressing cells or with TNF resulted in the activation of HIV-1 followed by apoptotic cell death. In the present study we found that costimulation via OX40 and TNF-R in OX40-expressing HIV-1-infected T cell lines leads to a marked reduction of HIV-1 production associated with rapid cell death. Since HIV-1-negative OX40(+) T cell lines underwent rapid apoptotic cell death after OX40L and TNF stimulation, it was reasoned that the ACH-2/OX40 cell death was unlikely to be due to HIV-1 infection. Furthermore, we found that the OX40-mediated apoptosis of the CD4(+) T cell line, Molt-4/CCR5-OX40 (M/R5-OX40), required (1) signals mediated via the cytoplasmic tail of OX40, (2) activation of the caspase cascade, including caspase-8 and caspase-3, and (3) induction of endogenous TNF-alpha, but not of TNF-beta, FasL, or TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), suggesting that this apoptosis occurred indirectly via the TNF/TNF-R system. Finally, a fraction of primary activated CD4(+) T cells, expressing high levels of OX40, underwent apoptosis, as revealed by annexin V staining, after cocultivation with OX40L(+) cells. These results suggest a new biological role of the OX40L/OX40 system in controlling the fate of activated CD4(+) T cells and of controlling HIV-1 infection in inflammatory environments.
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PMID:Enhancement of OX40-induced apoptosis by TNF coactivation in OX40-expressing T cell lines in vitro leading to decreased targets for HIV type 1 production. 1832 75

Fisetin, or 3,3',4',7-tetrahydroxyflavone, is present in fruits and vegetables and has been previously reported to inhibit the proliferation of a variety of cancer cells (Lu X, Jung J, Cho HJ, Lim do Y, Lee HS, Chun HS, Kwon DY, Park JH. J Nutr 135: 2884-2890, 2005). We have demonstrated in a previous work that 20-60 micromol/l fisetin inhibits cyclin-dependent kinase activities resulting in cell cycle arrest in HT-29 colon cancer cells. In the present study, we attempted to characterize the mechanisms by which fisetin induces apoptosis in HCT-116 cells. DNA condensations, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and cleavage of caspases 9, 7, and 3 were induced in HCT-116 cells treated with 5-20 micromol/l of fisetin. Fisetin induced a reduction in the protein levels of antiapoptotic Bcl-xL and Bcl-2 and an increase in the levels of proapoptotic Bak and Bim. Fisetin did not affect the Bax protein levels, but induced the mitochondrial translocation of this protein. Fisetin also enhanced the permeability of the mitochondrial membrane and induced the release of cytochrome c and Smac/Diablo. Additionally, fisetin caused an increase in the protein levels of cleaved caspase-8, Fas ligand, death receptor 5, and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, and the caspase-8 inhibitor Z-IETD-FMK suppressed fisetin-induced apoptosis and the activation of caspase-3. Furthermore, fisetin increases p53 protein levels, and the inhibition of p53 expression by small interference RNA resulted in a decrease in the fisetin-induced translocation of Bax to the mitochondria, release of mono- and oligonucleosome in the cytoplasm, and PARP cleavage. These results show that fisetin induces apoptosis in HCT-116 cells via the activation of the death receptor- and mitochondrial-dependent pathway and subsequent activation of the caspase cascade. The induction of p53 results in the translocation of Bax to the mitochondria, which contributes to fisetin-induced apoptosis in HCT-116 cells.
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PMID:Induction of p53 contributes to apoptosis of HCT-116 human colon cancer cells induced by the dietary compound fisetin. 1926 55

Although there is increasing evidence that alpha fetoprotein (AFP) may function as regulatory factor in the growth of tumor cells, the precise mechanism is still unclear. In the current study, we investigated the role of the cytoplasmic AFP in caspase-3-mediated signaling of apoptosis. Our results showed that low doses of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) elevated the activity of caspase-8, but not caspase-3. Caspase-3 colocalized and interacted with AFP in the cytoplasm of Bel 7402 cells, and translocated into nuclei in association with the occurrence of apoptosis while cells were under cotreatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) or TRAIL. AFP was able to form complexes with caspase-3 and block onward transmission of signaling from caspase-8. Knockdown of AFP increased the sensitivity of Bel 7402 cells to TRAIL, and thereby, triggered caspase-3 signaling. No intermolecule interaction occurred between AFP and caspase-8, nor was caspase-8 activity altered after AFP knockdown, demonstrating the selectivity of AFP in interfering with the apoptotic signaling pathway. The effect of AFP on caspase-3 was further confirmed by transfection of the AFP gene into HLE cells (AFP negative). We conclude that ATRA or TRAIL resistance in AFP producing hepatoma is at least, in part, attributable to the high level of the cytoplasmic AFP. Therefore, it is possible that the combination of AFP gene silencing together with ATRA/TRAIL cotreatment will benefit the enhancement of the chemotherapeutic efficiency of these agents on tumors.
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PMID:Alpha fetoprotein is a novel protein-binding partner for caspase-3 and blocks the apoptotic signaling pathway in human hepatoma cells. 1926 4

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a pro-apoptotic cytokine that is capable of inducing apoptosis in a wide variety of cancer cells but not in normal cells. Although many cancer cells are sensitive to TRAIL-induced apoptosis, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) develops resistance to TRAIL. In this study, we investigated whether apicidin, a novel histone deacetylase inhibitor, could overcome the TRAIL resistance in CML-derived K562 cells. Compared to treatment with apicidin or TRAIL alone, cotreatment with apicidin and TRAIL-induced apoptosis synergistically in K562 cells. This combination led to activation of caspase-8 and Bcl-2 interacting domain (Bid), resulting in the cytosolic accumulation of cytochrome c from mitochondria as well as an activation of caspase-3. Treatment with apicidin resulted in down-regulation of Bcr-Abl and inhibition of its downstream target, PI3K/AKT-NF-kappaB pathway. In addition, apicidin decreased the level of NF-kappaB-dependent Bcl-x(L), leading to caspase activation and Bid cleavage. These results suggest that apicidin may sensitize K562 cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis through caspase-dependent mitochondrial pathway by regulating expression of Bcr-Abl and its related anti-apoptotic proteins. Therefore, the present study suggests that combination of apicidin and TRAIL may be an effective strategy for treating TRAIL-resistant Bcr-Abl expressing CML cells.
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PMID:Cotreatment with apicidin overcomes TRAIL resistance via inhibition of Bcr-Abl signaling pathway in K562 leukemia cells. 1926 63

Periodontal disease (Pd) is characterized by an increased osteoclast resorption and a decreased osteoblast (OB) bone formation. OBs obtained from alveolar bone of Periodontitis patients (Pp) undergo apoptosis in the presence of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). We studied the intracellular apoptotic pathway induced by TRAIL; TRAIL death (DR4, DR5) and decoy (DcR1, DcR2) receptors expression in Periodontitis patients OBs (PpOBs), and we measured the concentration of TRAIL in the serum of Pp. We demonstrated that DNA fragmentation and activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3 in PpOBs, following TRAIL stimulation, occurred in shorter time; moreover, a higher amount of both caspases was activated in order to direct OBs. Down-regulation of DcR2 in PpOBs was demonstrated and high TRAIL levels were detected in the serum of Pp. In conclusion, our data suggest that PpOBs are more sensitive to TRAIL-induced apoptosis when compared to the control group. The down-regulation of DcR2 possibly leads to an imbalanced ratio between death and decoy receptors. Our findings highlight a role of TRAIL in the pathogenesis of Pd.
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PMID:Osteoblast apoptosis in periodontal disease: role of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand. 1930 56

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a potent inducer of cell death in several cancer cells, but many cells are resistant to TRAIL. The mechanism that determines sensitivity to TRAIL-killing is still elusive. Here we report that deletion of TAK1 kinase greatly increased activation of caspase-3 and cell death after TRAIL stimulation in keratinocytes, fibroblasts and cancer cells. Although TAK1 kinase is involved in NF-kappaB pathway, ablation of NF-kappaB did not alter sensitivity to TRAIL. We found that TRAIL could induce accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) when TAK1 was deleted. Furthermore, we found that TAK1 deletion induced TRAIL-dependent downregulation of cIAP, which enhanced activation of caspase-3. These results show that TAK1 deletion facilitates TRAIL-induced cell death by activating caspase through ROS and downregulation of cIAP. Thus, inhibition of TAK1 can be an effective approach to increase TRAIL sensitivity.
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PMID:TAK1 kinase determines TRAIL sensitivity by modulating reactive oxygen species and cIAP. 1942 Nov 37

Primary endothelial cells are fully resistant to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate that certain environmental conditions, such as exposure to the widespread allergen nickel, can dramatically increase the susceptibility of naturally resistant primary endothelial cells or keratinocytes to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. While nickel treatment increased surface expression of the apoptosis-inducing TRAIL receptors TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2, it also up-regulated the apoptosis-deficient TRAIL-R4, suggesting that modulation of TRAIL receptor expression alone is unlikely to fully account for the dramatic sensitization effect of nickel. Further analysis of candidate mediators revealed that nickel strongly repressed c-FLIP at mRNA and protein levels. Accordingly, increased activation of Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 following nickel treatment was observed. Importantly, depletion of c-FLIP by RNA interference could largely recapitulate the effect of nickel and sensitize endothelial cells to TRAIL-dependent apoptosis in the absence of nickel pre-treatment. Conversely, ectopic expression of c-FLIP(L) largely protected nickel-treated cells from TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. Our data demonstrate that one key mechanism of sensitization of primary human endothelial cells or keratinocytes is transcriptional down-regulation of c-FLIP. We hypothesize that environmental factors, exemplified by the contact allergen nickel, strongly modulate death ligand sensitivity of endothelial cells and keratinocytes thus influencing vascular and epidermal function and integrity under physiological and pathophysiological conditions.
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PMID:The contact allergen nickel sensitizes primary human endothelial cells and keratinocytes to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. 1953 62

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a decoy receptor for receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). While RANKL is essential for osteoclastogenesis and facilitates breast cancer migration into bone, TRAIL promotes breast cancer apoptosis. We analyzed the expression of OPG and TRAIL and its modulation in estrogen receptor-positive MCF-7 cells and receptor-negative MDA-MB-231 cells. In both cells, OPG mRNA levels and protein secretion were dose- and time-dependently enhanced by interleukin (IL)-1beta and suppressed by dexamethasone. In contrast to MCF-7 cells, MDA-MB-231 abundantly expressed TRAIL mRNA, which was enhanced by IL-1beta and inhibited by dexamethasone. TRAIL activated pro-apoptotic caspase-3, -7, and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase and decreased cell numbers of MDA-MB-231, but had no effect on MCF-7 cells. Gene silencing siRNA directed against OPG resulted in a 31% higher apoptotic rate compared to non-target siRNA-treated MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, TRAIL induced significantly less apoptosis in cells cultured in conditioned media (containing OPG) compared to cells exposed to TRAIL in fresh medium lacking OPG (P < 0.01) and these protective effects were reversed by blocking OPG with its specific ligand RANKL (P < 0.05). The association between cancer cell survival and OPG production by MDA-MB-231 cells was further supported by the finding, that modulation of OPG secretion using IL-1beta or dexamethasone prior to TRAIL exposure resulted in decreased and increased rate of apoptosis, respectively (P < 0.05). Thus, OPG secretion by breast cancer cells is modulated by cytokines and dexamethasone, and may represent a critical resistance mechanism that protects against TRAIL-induced apoptosis.
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PMID:Osteoprotegerin production by breast cancer cells is suppressed by dexamethasone and confers resistance against TRAIL-induced apoptosis. 1954


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