scholarly journals Plants expressing murine pro-apoptotic protein Bid do not have enhanced PCD

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Manara ◽  
Zahra Imanifard ◽  
Linda Fracasso ◽  
Diana Bellin ◽  
Massimo Crimi

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to explore whether plant programmed cell death (PCD) cascade can sense the presence of the animal-only BH3 protein Bid, a BCL-2 family protein known to play a regulatory role in the signaling cascade of animal apoptosis. Results We have expressed the mouse pro-apoptotic protein Bid in Arabidopsis thaliana and in Nicotiana tabacum. We did not obtain any transformed plant constitutively expressing the truncated protein (tBid—i.e. the caspase-activated form) whereas ectopic expression of the full-length protein (flBid) does not interfere with growth and development of the transformed plants. To verify whether the presence of this animal pro-apoptotic protein modified stress responses and PCD execution, both N. tabacum and A. thaliana plants constitutively expressing flBid have been studied under different stress conditions triggering cell death activation. The results show that the presence of flBid in transgenic plants did not significantly change the responses to abiotic stress (H2O2 or NO) and biotic stress treatments. Moreover, the finding that no Bid active form was present in treated tobacco plants suggests an absence of a proper activation of Bid.

2001 ◽  
Vol 359 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Itaru HIRAI ◽  
Hong-Gang WANG

The pro-apoptotic Bcl-2-family protein Bad heterodimerizes with Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL in the outer mitochondrial membranes, nullifying their anti-apoptotic activities and promoting cell death. We report that interleukin-3 (IL-3) stimulation induces Bad phosphorylation and triggers its translocation from mitochondria to cytoplasm in cells expressing Bcl-xL but not Bcl-2. Overexpression of Bad sensitized Bcl-xL-expressing FL5.12 cells to apoptosis induced by IL-3 deprivation, but had no effect on the viability of cells expressing Bcl-2. IL-3 stimulation induced Bad phosphorylation at Ser-112, impairing its binding to Bcl-xL and resulting in its association with 14-3-3 proteins in the cytosol. However, Ser-112 phosphorylation could not trigger Bad dissociation from mitochondria in FL5.12 cells expressing Bcl-2. In 293T cells expressing Bcl-xL, Bad was phosphorylated at three serines, 112, 136 and 155, and was largely localized in the cytosolic fraction. In contrast, overexpression of Bcl-2 prevented phosphorylation of Bad at Ser-136 and Ser-155, sequestering this protein in the mitochondrial membranes. When the N-terminal regions of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were swapped with each other, the Bcl-xL(N)–Bcl-2 chimaeric protein (containing the N-terminal region of Bcl-xL) failed to prevent Bad phosphorylation in cells and was unable to block the cytosolic distribution of this pro-apoptotic protein. Additional experiments with the Bcl-2(N)–Bcl-xL chimaeric protein (containing the N-terminal region of Bcl-2) indicated that, although the N-terminal region of Bcl-2 is necessary, it is not sufficient for sequestering Bad in the mitochondrial membranes. These observations suggest that growth-factor-mediated phosphorylation of Bad contributes to the cytoprotective function of Bcl-xL but not Bcl-2.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Papatzimas ◽  
Evgueni Gorobets ◽  
Ranjan Maity ◽  
Mir Ishruna Muniyat ◽  
Justin L. MacCallum ◽  
...  

<div> <div> <div> <p>Here we show the development of heterobifunctional small molecules capable of selectively targeting MCL1 using a Proteolysis Targeting Chimera (PROTAC) methodology leading to successful degradation. We have confirmed the involvement of the E3 ligase CUL4A-DDB1 cereblon (CRBN) ubiquitination pathway, making these PROTACs a first step toward a new class of anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family protein degraders. </p> </div> </div> </div>


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Dilan Khalili ◽  
Christina Kalcher ◽  
Stefan Baumgartner ◽  
Ulrich Theopold

Fibrotic lesions accompany several pathological conditions, including tumors. We show that expression of a dominant-active form of the Ras oncogene in <i>Drosophila</i> salivary glands (SGs) leads to redistribution of components of the basement membrane (BM) and fibrotic lesions. Similar to several types of mammalian fibrosis, the disturbed BM attracts clot components, including insect transglutaminase and phenoloxidase. SG epithelial cells show reduced apicobasal polarity accompanied by a loss of secretory activity. Both the fibrotic lesions and the reduced cell polarity are alleviated by ectopic expression of the antimicrobial peptide drosomycin (Drs), which also restores the secretory activity of the SGs. In addition to extracellular matrix components, both Drs and F-actin localize to fibrotic lesions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1175
Author(s):  
Ryuta Inukai ◽  
Kanako Mori ◽  
Keiko Kuwata ◽  
Chihiro Suzuki ◽  
Masatoshi Maki ◽  
...  

Apoptosis-linked gene 2 (ALG-2, also known as PDCD6) is a member of the penta-EF-hand (PEF) family of Ca2+-binding proteins. The murine gene encoding ALG-2 was originally reported to be an essential gene for apoptosis. However, the role of ALG-2 in cell death pathways has remained elusive. In the present study, we found that cell death-inducing p53 target protein 1 (CDIP1), a pro-apoptotic protein, interacts with ALG-2 in a Ca2+-dependent manner. Co-immunoprecipitation analysis of GFP-fused CDIP1 (GFP-CDIP1) revealed that GFP-CDIP1 associates with tumor susceptibility gene 101 (TSG101), a known target of ALG-2 and a subunit of endosomal sorting complex required for transport-I (ESCRT-I). ESCRT-I is a heterotetrameric complex composed of TSG101, VPS28, VPS37 and MVB12/UBAP1. Of diverse ESCRT-I species originating from four VPS37 isoforms (A, B, C, and D), CDIP1 preferentially associates with ESCRT-I containing VPS37B or VPS37C in part through the adaptor function of ALG-2. Overexpression of GFP-CDIP1 in HEK293 cells caused caspase-3/7-mediated cell death. In addition, the cell death was enhanced by co-expression of ALG-2 and ESCRT-I, indicating that ALG-2 likely promotes CDIP1-induced cell death by promoting the association between CDIP1 and ESCRT-I. We also found that CDIP1 binds to vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein (VAP)A and VAPB through the two phenylalanines in an acidic tract (FFAT)-like motif in the C-terminal region of CDIP1, mutations of which resulted in reduction of CDIP1-induced cell death. Therefore, our findings suggest that different expression levels of ALG-2, ESCRT-I subunits, VAPA and VAPB may have an impact on sensitivity of anticancer drugs associated with CDIP1 expression.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 5349
Author(s):  
Mayes Alswady-Hoff ◽  
Johanna Samulin Erdem ◽  
Santosh Phuyal ◽  
Oskar Knittelfelder ◽  
Animesh Sharma ◽  
...  

There is little in vitro data available on long-term effects of TiO2 exposure. Such data are important for improving the understanding of underlying mechanisms of adverse health effects of TiO2. Here, we exposed pulmonary epithelial cells to two doses (0.96 and 1.92 µg/cm2) of TiO2 for 13 weeks and effects on cell cycle and cell death mechanisms, i.e., apoptosis and autophagy were determined after 4, 8 and 13 weeks of exposure. Changes in telomere length, cellular protein levels and lipid classes were also analyzed at 13 weeks of exposure. We observed that the TiO2 exposure increased the fraction of cells in G1-phase and reduced the fraction of cells in G2-phase, which was accompanied by an increase in the fraction of late apoptotic/necrotic cells. This corresponded with an induced expression of key apoptotic proteins i.e., BAD and BAX, and an accumulation of several lipid classes involved in cellular stress and apoptosis. These findings were further supported by quantitative proteome profiling data showing an increase in proteins involved in cell stress and genomic maintenance pathways following TiO2 exposure. Altogether, we suggest that cell stress response and cell death pathways may be important molecular events in long-term health effects of TiO2.


2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes M. Herrmann ◽  
Jan Riemer

AbstractThe mitochondrial complex I serves as entry point for NADH into the electron transport chain. In animals, fungi and plants, additional NADH dehydrogenases carry out the same electron transfer reaction, however they do not pump protons. The apoptosis inducing factor (AIF, AIFM1 in humans) is a famous member of this group as it was the first pro-apoptotic protein identified that can induce caspase-independent cell death. Recent studies on AIFM1 and the NADH dehydrogenase Nde1 of baker’s yeast revealed two independent and experimentally separable activities of this class of enzymes: On the one hand, these proteins promote the functionality of mitochondrial respiration in different ways: They channel electrons into the respiratory chain and, at least in animals, promote the import of Mia40 (named MIA40 or CHCHD4 in humans) and the assembly of complex I. On the other hand, they can give rise to pro-apoptotic fragments that are released from the mitochondria to trigger cell death. Here we propose that AIFM1 and Nde1 serve as conserved redox switches which measure metabolic conditions on the mitochondrial surface and translate it into a binary life/death decision. This function is conserved among eukaryotic cells and apparently used to purge metabolically compromised cells from populations.


Oncogenesis ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Geon Lee ◽  
Hui Won Kim ◽  
Yeji Nam ◽  
Kyeong Jin Shin ◽  
Yu Jin Lee ◽  
...  

AbstractMitochondrial proteases are key components in mitochondrial stress responses that maintain proteostasis and mitochondrial integrity in harsh environmental conditions, which leads to the acquisition of aggressive phenotypes, including chemoresistance and metastasis. However, the molecular mechanisms and exact role of mitochondrial proteases in cancer remain largely unexplored. Here, we identified functional crosstalk between LONP1 and ClpP, which are two mitochondrial matrix proteases that cooperate to attenuate proteotoxic stress and protect mitochondrial functions for cancer cell survival. LONP1 and ClpP genes closely localized on chromosome 19 and were co-expressed at high levels in most human cancers. Depletion of both genes synergistically attenuated cancer cell growth and induced cell death due to impaired mitochondrial functions and increased oxidative stress. Using mitochondrial matrix proteomic analysis with an engineered peroxidase (APEX)-mediated proximity biotinylation method, we identified the specific target substrates of these proteases, which were crucial components of mitochondrial functions, including oxidative phosphorylation, the TCA cycle, and amino acid and lipid metabolism. Furthermore, we found that LONP1 and ClpP shared many substrates, including serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2). Inhibition of both LONP1 and ClpP additively increased the amount of unfolded SHMT2 protein and enhanced sensitivity to SHMT2 inhibitor, resulting in significantly reduced cell growth and increased cell death under metabolic stress. Additionally, prostate cancer patients with higher LONP1 and ClpP expression exhibited poorer survival. These results suggest that interventions targeting the mitochondrial proteostasis network via LONP1 and ClpP could be potential therapeutic strategies for cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Paes Melo ◽  
Isabela Tristan Lourenço-Tessutti ◽  
Otto Teixeira Fraga ◽  
Luanna Bezerra Pinheiro ◽  
Camila Barrozo de Jesus Lins ◽  
...  

AbstractNACs are plant-specific transcription factors involved in controlling plant development, stress responses, and senescence. As senescence-associated genes (SAGs), NACs integrate age- and stress-dependent pathways that converge to programmed cell death (PCD). In Arabidopsis, NAC-SAGs belong to well-characterized regulatory networks, poorly understood in soybean. Here, we interrogated the soybean genome and provided a comprehensive analysis of senescence-associated Glycine max (Gm) NACs. To functionally examine GmNAC-SAGs, we selected GmNAC065, a putative ortholog of Arabidopsis ANAC083/VNI2 SAG, and the cell death-promoting GmNAC085, an ANAC072 SAG putative ortholog, for analyses. Expression analysis of GmNAC065 and GmNAC085 in soybean demonstrated (i) these cell death-promoting GmNACs display contrasting expression changes during age- and stress-induced senescence; (ii) they are co-expressed with functionally different gene sets involved in stress and PCD, and (iii) are differentially induced by PCD inducers. Furthermore, we demonstrated GmNAC065 expression delays senescence in Arabidopsis, a phenotype associated with enhanced oxidative performance under multiple stresses, higher chlorophyll, carotenoid and sugar contents, and lower stress-induced PCD compared to wild-type. In contrast, GmNAC085 accelerated stress-induced senescence, causing enhanced chlorophyll loss, ROS accumulation and cell death, decreased antioxidative system expression and activity. Accordingly, GmNAC065 and GmNAC085 targeted functionally contrasting sets of downstream AtSAGs, further indicating that GmNAC85 and GmNAC065 regulators function inversely in developmental and environmental PCD.


Author(s):  
Ping Li ◽  
Ting Luo ◽  
Xiaojun Pu ◽  
Ying Zhou ◽  
Jianing Yu ◽  
...  

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 413
Author(s):  
Qing Guo ◽  
Li Li ◽  
Kai Zhao ◽  
Wenjing Yao ◽  
Zihan Cheng ◽  
...  

SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein (SBP) is a kind of plant-specific transcription factor, which plays a crucial role in stress responses and plant growth and development by activating and inhibiting the transcription of multiple target genes. In this study, a total of 30 SBP genes were identified from Populus trichocarpa genome and randomly distributed on 16 chromosomes in poplar. According to phylogenetic analysis, the PtSBPs can be divided into six categories, and 14 out of the genes belong to VI. Furthermore, the SBP genes in VI were proved to have a targeting relationship with miR156. The homeopathic element analysis showed that the promoters of poplar SBP genes mainly contain the elements involved in growth and development, abiotic stress and hormone response. In addition, there existed 10 gene segment duplication events in the SBP gene duplication analysis. Furthermore, there were four poplar and Arabidopsis orthologous gene pairs among the poplar SBP members. What is more, poplar SBP gene family has diverse gene expression pattern under salt stress. As many as nine SBP members were responding to high salt stress and six members possibly participated in growth development and abiotic stress. Yeast two-hybrid experiments indicated that PtSBPs can form heterodimers to interact in the transcriptional regulatory networks. The genome-wide analysis of poplar SBP family will contribute to function characterization of SBP genes in woody plants.


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