Characterization of spontaneous cell death in monolayer cultures of primary hepatocytes

AbstractPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the most aggressive tumors with a microenvironment marked by hypoxia and starvation. Galectin-3 has been evaluated in solid tumors and seems to present both pro/anti-tumor effects. So, this study aims to characterize the expression of Galectin-3 from pancreatic tumor cells and analyze its influence for cell survive and motility in mimetic microenvironment. For this, cell cycle and cell death were accessed through flow cytometry. Characterization of inside and outside Galectin-3 was performed through Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), immunofluorescence, Western blot, and ELISA. Consequences of Galectin-3 extracellular inhibition were investigated using cell death and scratch assays. PANC-1 showed increased Galectin-3 mRNA expression when cultivated in hypoxia for 24 and 48 h. After 24 h in simultaneously hypoxic/deprived incubation, PANC-1 shows increased Galectin-3 protein and secreted levels. For Mia PaCa-2, cultivation in deprivation was determinant for the increasing in Galectin-3 mRNA expression. When cultivated in simultaneously hypoxic/deprived condition, Mia PaCa-2 also presented increasing for the Galectin-3 secreted levels. Treatment of PANC-1 cells with lactose increased the death rate when cells were incubated simultaneously hypoxic/deprived condition. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that the microenvironmental conditions modulate the Galectin-3 expression on the transcriptional and translational levels for pancreatic cancer cells.

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Overexpression of Pto Induces a Salicylate-Independent Cell Death But Inhibits Necrotic Lesions Caused by Salicylate-Deficiency in Tomato Plants

Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions ◽

10.1094/mpmi.2002.15.7.654 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 15 (7) ◽

pp. 654-661 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Jianxiong Li ◽

Libo Shan ◽

Jian-Min Zhou ◽

Xiaoyan Tang

Keyword(s):

Cell Death ◽

Disease Resistance ◽

Pseudomonas Syringae ◽

Virulent Strain ◽

Gene Activation ◽

Cellular Damage ◽

Minor Role ◽

Disease Resistance Gene ◽

Tomato Plants ◽

Spontaneous Cell Death

Tomato plants overexpressing the disease resistance gene Pto (35S∷Pto) exhibit spontaneous cell death, accumulation of salicylic acid (SA), elevated expression of pathogenesis-related genes, and enhanced resistance to a broad range of pathogens. Because salicylate plays an important role in the cell death and defense activation in many lesion mimic mutants, we investigated the interaction of SA-mediated processes and the 35S∷Pto-mediated defense pathway by introducing the nahG transgene that encodes salicylate hydroxylase. Here, we show that SA is not required for the 35S∷Pto-activated microscopic cell death and plays a minor role in defense gene activation and general disease resistance in 35S∷Pto plants. In contrast, temperature greatly affects the spontaneous cell death and general resistance in 35S∷Pto plants, and high temperature inhibits the cell death. The NahG tomato plants develop spontaneous, unconstrained necrotic lesions on leaves. These lesions also are initiated by the inoculation of a virulent strain of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. However, the NahG-dependent necrotic lesions are inhibited in the NahG/35S∷Pto plants. This inhibition is most pronounced under conditions favoring the 35S∷Pto-mediated spontaneous cell death development. These results indicate that the signaling pathways activated by Pto overexpression suppress the cellular damage that is caused by SA depletion. We also found that ethylene is dispensable for the 35S∷Pto-mediated general defense.

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