scholarly journals Role of the human heat shock protein hsp70 in protection against stress-induced apoptosis.

1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 5317-5327 ◽  
Author(s):  
D D Mosser ◽  
A W Caron ◽  
L Bourget ◽  
C Denis-Larose ◽  
B Massie

Resistance to stress-induced apoptosis was examined in cells in which the expression of hsp70 was either constitutively elevated or inducible by a tetracycline-regulated transactivator. Heat-induced apoptosis was blocked in hsp70-expressing cells, and this was associated with reduced cleavage of the common death substrate protein poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Heat-induced cell death was correlated with the activation of the stress-activated protein kinase SAPK/JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase). Activation of SAPK/JNK was strongly inhibited in cells in which hsp70 was induced to a high level, indicating that hsp70 is able to block apoptosis by inhibiting signaling events upstream of SAPK/JNK activation. In contrast, SAPK/JNK activation was not inhibited by heat shock in cells with constitutively elevated levels of hsp70. Cells that constitutively overexpress hsp70 resist apoptosis induced by ceramide, a lipid signaling molecule that is generated by apoptosis-inducing treatments and is linked to SAPK/JNK activation. Similar to heat stress, resistance to ceramide-induced apoptosis occurs in spite of strong SAPK/JNK activation. Therefore, hsp70 is also able to inhibit apoptosis at some point downstream of SAPK/JNK activation. Since PARP cleavage is prevented in both cell lines, these results suggest that hsp70 is able to prevent the effector steps of apoptotic cell death. Processing of the CED-3-related protease caspase-3 (CPP32/Yama/apopain) is inhibited in hsp70-expressing cells; however, the activity of the mature enzyme is not affected by hsp70 in vitro. Caspase processing may represent a critical heat-sensitive target leading to cell death that is inhibited by the chaperoning function of hsp70. The inhibition of SAPK/JNK signaling and apoptotic protease effector steps by hsp70 likely contributes to the resistance to stress-induced apoptosis seen in transiently induced thermotolerance.

Author(s):  
Bernadett Kalmar ◽  
Linda Greensmith

AbstractPharmacological up-regulation of heat shock proteins (hsps) rescues motoneurons from cell death in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, the relationship between increased hsp expression and neuronal survival is not straightforward. Here we examined the effects of two pharmacological agents that induce the heat shock response via activation of HSF-1, on stressed primary motoneurons in culture. Although both arimoclomol and celastrol induced the expression of Hsp70, their effects on primary motoneurons in culture were significantly different. Whereas arimoclomol had survival-promoting effects, rescuing motoneurons from staurosporin and H2O2 induced apoptosis, celastrol not only failed to protect stressed motoneurons from apoptosis under same experimental conditions, but was neurotoxic and induced neuronal death. Immunostaining of celastrol-treated cultures for hsp70 and activated caspase-3 revealed that celastrol treatment activates both the heat shock response and the apoptotic cell death cascade. These results indicate that not all agents that activate the heat shock response will necessarily be neuroprotective.


Antioxidants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Di Meo ◽  
Rossana Cuciniello ◽  
Sabrina Margarucci ◽  
Paolo Bergamo ◽  
Orsolina Petillo ◽  
...  

Oxidative stress has been associated to neuronal cell loss in neurodegenerative diseases. Neurons are post-mitotic cells that are very sensitive to oxidative stress—especially considering their limited capacity to be replaced. Therefore, reduction of oxidative stress, and inhibiting apoptosis, will potentially prevent neurodegeneration. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) against H2O2 induced apoptosis in SK-N-BE neuroblastoma cells. We analysed the molecular signalling pathway involved in the apoptotic cell death. H2O2 induced an increased acetylation of p53 lysine 382, a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential, an increased BAX/Bcl-2 ratio and consequently increased Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage. All these effects were blocked by EGb 761 treatment. Thus, EGb 761, acting as intracellular antioxidant, protects neuroblastoma cells against activation of p53 mediated pathway and intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis. Our results suggest that EGb 761, protecting against oxidative-stress induced apoptotic cell death, could potentially be used as nutraceutical for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.


Author(s):  
Lin Yang ◽  
Yongyu Mei ◽  
Qifeng Xie ◽  
Xiaoyan Han ◽  
Fucheng Zhang ◽  
...  

AbstractIt has been suggested that Bax translocation to the mitochondria is related to apoptosis, and that cytosol acidification contributes to apoptosis events. However, the mechanisms remain obscure. We investigated the effect of acidification on Bax translocation and on ultraviolet (UV) light-induced apoptosis. The Bax translocation assay in vitro showed that Bax translocated to the mitochondria at pH 6.5, whereas no Bax translocation was observed at pH 7.4. VHDBB cells expressing the GFP-Bax fusion protein were treated for 12 h with a pH 6.5 DMEM medium, nigericin (5 μg/ml) and UV light (50 J/cm2), separately or in combination, and Bax translocation to the mitochondria was determined by SDS-PAGE and Western blot, and apoptotic cell death was detected by flow cytometry. The results showed that some of the Bax translocated to the mitochondria in the cells treated with the normal medium, nigericin and UV in combination, whereas all of the Bax translocated to the mitochondria in the cells treated with the pH 6.5 medium, nigericin and UV in combination. In VHDBB cells treated for 12 h with nigericin, UV alone, and UV and nigericin in combination, the respective rates of apoptotic cell death were 25.08%, 33.25% and 52.88%. In cells treated with pH 6.5 medium and nigericin, pH 6.5 medium and UV, and pH 6.5 medium, nigericin and UV in combination, the respective rates of apoptotic cell death increased to 37.19%, 41.42% and 89.44%. Our results indicated that acidification induces Bax translocation from the cytosol to the mitochondria, and promotes UV lightmediated apoptosis. This suggests that there is a possibility of improving cancer treatment by combining acidification with irradiation or chemotherapeutic drugs.


2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (19) ◽  
pp. 7146-7159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dick D. Mosser ◽  
Antoine W. Caron ◽  
Lucie Bourget ◽  
Anatoli B. Meriin ◽  
Michael Y. Sherman ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Cellular stress can trigger a process of self-destruction known as apoptosis. Cells can also respond to stress by adaptive changes that increase their ability to tolerate normally lethal conditions. Expression of the major heat-inducible protein hsp70 protects cells from heat-induced apoptosis. hsp70 has been reported to act in some situations upstream or downstream of caspase activation, and its protective effects have been said to be either dependent on or independent of its ability to inhibit JNK activation. Purified hsp70 has been shown to block procaspase processing in vitro but is unable to inhibit the activity of active caspase 3. Since some aspects of hsp70 function can occur in the absence of its chaperone activity, we examined whether hsp70 lacking its ATPase domain or the C-terminal EEVD sequence that is essential for peptide binding was required for the prevention of apoptosis. We generated stable cell lines with tetracycline-regulated expression of hsp70, hsc70, and chaperone-defective hsp70 mutants lacking the ATPase domain or the C-terminal EEVD sequence or containing AAAA in place of EEVD. Overexpression of hsp70 or hsc70 protected cells from heat shock-induced cell death by preventing the processing of procaspases 9 and 3. This required the chaperone function of hsp70 since hsp70 mutant proteins did not prevent procaspase processing or provide protection from apoptosis. JNK activation was inhibited by both hsp70 and hsc70 and by each of the hsp70 domain mutant proteins. The chaperoning activity of hsp70 is therefore not required for inhibition of JNK activation, and JNK inhibition was not sufficient for the prevention of apoptosis. Release of cytochrome c from mitochondria was inhibited in cells expressing full-length hsp70 but not in cells expressing the protein with ATPase deleted. Together with the recently identified ability of hsp70 to inhibit cytochromec-mediated procaspase 9 processing in vitro, these data demonstrate that hsp70 can affect the apoptotic pathway at the levels of both cytochrome c release and initiator caspase activation and that the chaperone function of hsp70 is required for these effects.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 2468-2468
Author(s):  
Kenji Ishitsuka ◽  
Teru Hideshima ◽  
Makoto Hamasaki ◽  
Raje Noopur ◽  
Kumar Shaji ◽  
...  

Abstract Inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) is a rate-limiting enzyme required for the de novo synthesis of guanine nucleotides from IMP. VX-944 (Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA) is a small molecule, selective, uncompetitive novel inhibitor directed against human IMPDH enzyme. IMPDH inhibitors have been demonstrated to induce growth arrest, and extensively investigated as immunosuppressants. Here we show that VX-944 inhibits growth of human multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines, including those resistant to conventional agents, via induction of apoptosis and S phase arrest in vitro. Interleukin-6, insulin-like growth factor-1, or co-culture with bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), do not protect against VX-944-induced MM cell growth inhibition. We next delineated the molecular mechanism of VX-944-induced MM cell death in the MM.1S human MM cell line. VX-944 induced apoptosis in MM.1S cells, confirmed by PARP cleavage as well as flow cytometric detection of the mitochondrial membrane protein 7A6 and TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) positive cells, without significant cleavage of caspases 3, 8 and 9. While the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk did not inhibit the VX-944-induced apoptosis and cell death suggesting that VX-944 triggers apoptosis in MM1.S cells primarily via caspase-independent pathway. Importantly, VX-944 augments the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin, melphalan and bortezomib, all of which activate caspases in MM cells and induce apoptosis, even in the presence of BMSCs. Taken together, our data demonstrate non-caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway triggered by VX-944 thereby providing a rationale to enhance MM cell cytotoxicity by combining this agent with conventional and/or novel agents which trigger caspase activation. Our ongoing studies are delineating the mechanisms whereby VX-944 induces MM cell apoptosis.


Oncogene ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung Un Seo ◽  
Seon Min Woo ◽  
Shin Kim ◽  
Jong-Wook Park ◽  
Hyun-Shik Lee ◽  
...  

AbstractCathepsin K is highly expressed in various types of cancers. However, the effect of cathepsin K inhibition in cancer cells is not well characterized. Here, cathepsin K inhibitor (odanacatib; ODN) and knockdown of cathepsin K (siRNA) enhanced oxaliplatin-induced apoptosis in multiple cancer cells through Bax upregulation. Bax knockdown significantly inhibited the combined ODN and oxaliplatin treatment-induced apoptotic cell death. Stabilization of p53 by ODN played a critical role in upregulating Bax expression at the transcriptional level. Casein kinase 2 (CK2)-dependent phosphorylation of OTUB1 at Ser16 played a critical role in ODN- and cathepsin K siRNA-mediated p53 stabilization. Interestingly, ODN-induced p53 and Bax upregulation were modulated by the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS). Mitochondrial ROS scavengers prevented OTUB1-mediated p53 stabilization and Bax upregulation by ODN. These in vitro results were confirmed by in mouse xenograft model, combined treatment with ODN and oxaliplatin significantly reduced tumor size and induced Bax upregulation. Furthermore, human renal clear carcinoma (RCC) tissues revealed a strong correlation between phosphorylation of OTUB1(Ser16) and p53/Bax expression. Our results demonstrate that cathepsin K inhibition enhances oxaliplatin-induced apoptosis by increasing OTUB1 phosphorylation via CK2 activation, thereby promoting p53 stabilization, and hence upregulating Bax.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (20) ◽  
pp. 10967
Author(s):  
Oxana Kazakova ◽  
Alexandra Mioc ◽  
Irina Smirnova ◽  
Irina Baikova ◽  
Adrian Voicu ◽  
...  

A series of novel hybrid chalcone N-ethyl-piperazinyl amide derivatives of oleanonic and ursonic acids were synthesized, and their cytotoxic potential was evaluated in vitro against the NCI-60 cancer cell line panel. Compounds 4 and 6 exhibited the highest overall anticancer activity, with GI50 values in some cases reaching nanomolar values. Thus, the two compounds were further assessed in detail in order to identify a possible apoptosis- and antiangiogenic-based mechanism of action induced by the assessed compounds. DAPI staining revealed that both compounds induced nuclei condensation and overall cell morphological changes consistent with apoptotic cell death. rtPCR analysis showed that up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Bak gene combined with the down-regulation of the pro-survival Bcl-XL and Bcl-2 genes caused altered ratios between the pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins’ levels, leading to overall induced apoptosis. Molecular docking analysis revealed that both compounds exhibited high scores for Bcl-XL inhibition, suggesting that compounds may induce apoptotic cell death through targeted anti-apoptotic protein inhibition, as well. Ex vivo determinations showed that both compounds did not significantly alter the angiogenesis process on the tested cell lines.


2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (21) ◽  
pp. 11440-11447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Chaiyakul ◽  
Karolynn Hsu ◽  
Rkia Dardari ◽  
Frank Marshall ◽  
Markus Czub

ABSTRACT Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection is associated with significant and serious swine diseases worldwide, while PCV1 appears to be a nonpathogenic virus. Previous studies demonstrated that the ORF3 protein of PCV2 (PCV2ORF3) was involved in PCV2 pathogenesis via its proapoptotic capability (J. Liu, I. Chen, Q. Du, H. Chua, and J. Kwang, J. Virol. 80:5065-5073, 2006). If PCV2ORF3-induced apoptosis is a determinant of virulence, PCV1ORF3 is hypothesized to lack this ability. The properties of PCV1 and PCV2 ORF3, expressed as fusion proteins to an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP), were characterized with regard to their ability to cause cellular morphological changes, detachment, death, and apoptosis. PCV1ORF3 significantly induced more apoptotic cell death and was toxic to more different cell types than PCV2ORF3 was. PCV1ORF3-associated cell death was caspase dependent. PCV1ORF3 also induced poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP) cleavage; however, whether PARP was involved in cell death requires further studies. Truncation of PCV1 and elongation of PCV2 ORF3 proteins revealed that the first 104 amino acids contain a domain capable of inducing cell death, whereas the C terminus of PCV1ORF3 contains a domain possibly responsible for enhancing cell death. These results suggest that the pathogenicity of PCV2 for pigs is either not determined or not solely determined by the ORF3 protein.


1998 ◽  
Vol 188 (5) ◽  
pp. 887-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yakun Gao ◽  
John M. Herndon ◽  
Hui Zhang ◽  
Thomas S. Griffith ◽  
Thomas A. Ferguson

Apoptosis is critical to homeostasis of multicellular organisms. In immune privileged sites such as the eye, CD95 ligand (FasL)-induced apoptosis controls dangerous inflammatory reactions that can cause blindness. Recently, we demonstrated that apoptotic cell death of inflammatory cells was a prerequisite for the induction of immune deviation after antigen presentation in the eye. In this report, we examine the mechanism by which this takes place. Our results show that Fas- mediated apoptosis of lymphoid cells leads to rapid production of interleukin (IL)-10 in these cells. The apoptotic cells containing IL-10 are responsible for the activation of immune deviation through interaction with antigen-presenting cells (APC). In support of this, we found that apoptotic cells from IL-10+/+ animals fed to APC in vitro promote Th2 cell differentiation, whereas apoptotic IL-10−/− cells, as well as nonapoptotic cells, favor Th1 induction. Thus, apoptotic cell death and tolerance are linked through the production of an antiinflammatory cytokine to prevent dangerous and unwanted immune responses that might compromise organ integrity.


Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Po-Han Lin ◽  
Hsiang-Lin Kung ◽  
Hsin-Yuan Chen ◽  
Ko-Chieh Huang ◽  
Shih-Min Hsia

Uterine leiomyomas, also known as fibroids, are common and prevalent in women of reproductive age. In this study, the effect of Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), a licorice flavonoid, on the anti-proliferation of uterine leiomyoma was investigated. We found that the survival of uterine leiomyoma ELT3 cells and primary uterine smooth muscle (UtSMC) cells was reduced by treatment with ISL alone or with ISL plus estradiol (E2). Cell cycles were arrested through the reduction of G2/M- and S-phase populations in ELT3 and UtSMC cells, respectively. Furthermore, increased sub-G1 phase and nucleus condensation were observed in ELT3 cells but not in UtSMC cells. Co-treatment of ELT3 cells with E2 and ISL inhibited ERK1/2 activation, whereas p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation was enhanced. Moreover, ISL-induced apoptosis and autophagy cell death in ELT3 cells were observed. Serum E2 and P4 levels were reduced in a E2-enhanced uterine myometrium hyperplasia mouse model by ISL treatment, which contributed to the downregulation of the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) associated proteins and matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs). Taken together, these results showed that ISL exerted a higher effect on the inhibition of estrogen-induced uterine leiomyoma growth for both in vitro and in vivo ECM accumulation, demonstrating its potential as a new option for treatment of uterine leiomyoma.


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