Involvement of programmed cell death in morphogenesis of the vertebrate inner ear

An outstanding challenge in developmental biology is to reveal the mechanisms underlying the morphogenesis of complex organs. A striking example is the developing inner ear of the vertebrate, which acquires a precise three-dimensional arrangement of its constituent epithelial cells to form three semicircular canals, a central vestibule and a coiled cochlea (in mammals). In generating a semicircular canal, epithelial cells seem to ‘disappear’ from the center of each canal. This phenomenon has been variously explained as (i) transdifferentiation of epithelium into mesenchyme, (ii) absorption of cells into the expanding canal or (iii) programmed cell death. In this study, an in situ DNA-end labeling technique (the TUNEL protocol) was used to map regions of cell death during inner ear morphogenesis in the chicken embryo from embryonic days 3.5-10. Regions of cell death previously identified in vertebrate ears have been confirmed, including the ventromedial otic vesicle, the base of the endolymphatic duct and the fusion plates of the semicircular canals. New regions of cell death are also described in and around the sensory organs. Reducing normal death using retrovirus-mediated overexpression of human bcl-2 causes abnormalities in ear morphogenesis: hollowing of the center of each canal is either delayed or fails entirely. These data provide new evidence to explain the role of cell death in morphogenesis of the semicircular canals.

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Role of epithelial cells and programmed cell death in Hydra spermatogenesis

Zoology ◽

10.1078/0944-2006-00005 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 104 (1) ◽

pp. 25-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Sergey Kuznetsov ◽

Maria Lyanguzowa ◽

Thomas C.G. Bosch

Keyword(s):

Cell Death ◽

Epithelial Cells ◽

Programmed Cell Death

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Massive programmed cell death in intestinal epithelial cells induced by three-dimensional growth conditions: suppression by mutant c-H-ras oncogene expression.

The Journal of Cell Biology ◽

10.1083/jcb.131.6.1587 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 131 (6) ◽

pp. 1587-1598 ◽

Cited By ~ 94

Author(s):

J Rak ◽

Y Mitsuhashi ◽

V Erdos ◽

S N Huang ◽

J Filmus ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Culture ◽

Cell Death ◽

Epithelial Cells ◽

Programmed Cell Death ◽

Intestinal Epithelial Cells ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Intestinal Epithelial ◽

Ras Oncogene ◽

Multicellular Spheroids ◽

Monolayer Cell Culture

Deregulation of molecular pathways controlling cell survival and death, including programmed cell death, are thought to be important factors in tumor formation, disease progression, and response to therapy. Studies devoted to analyzing the role of programmed cell death in cancer have been carried out primarily using conventional monolayer cell culture systems. However the majority of cancers grow as three-dimensional solid tumors. Because gene expression, and possibly function, can be significantly altered under such conditions, we decided to analyze the control and characteristics of cell death using a compatible three-dimensional tissue culture system (multicellular spheroids) and compare the results obtained to those using two-dimensional monolayer cell culture. To do so we selected for study an immortalized, but nontumorigenic line of rat intestinal epithelial cells, called IEC-18, and several tumorigenic variants of IEC-18 obtained by transfection with a mutant (activated) c-H-ras oncogene. The rationale for choosing these cell lines was based in part on the fact that intestinal epithelial cells grow in vivo in a monolayer-like manner and form solid tumors only after sustaining certain genetic mutations, including those involving the ras gene family. We found that the IEC-18 cells, which grow readily and survive in monolayer cell culture, undergo massive cell death within 48-72 h when cultured as multicellular spheroids on a nonadhesive surface. This process was accompanied by a number of features associated with programmed cell death including chromatin condensation (Hoechst 33258 staining) apoptotic morphology, DNA degradation, and a virtual complete loss of colony forming (clonogenic) ability in the absence of apparent membrane damage as well as accumulation of lipid containing vacuoles in the cytoplasm. Moreover, enforced over-expression of a transfected bcl-2 gene could prevent this cell death process from taking place. In marked contrast, three different stably transfected ras clones of IEC-18 survived when grown as multicellular spheroids. In addition, an IEC cell line (called clone 25) carrying its mutant transfected ras under a glucocorticoid inducible promoter survived in three-dimensional culture only when the cells were exposed to dexamethasone. If exposure to dexamethasone was delayed for as long as 48 h the cells nevertheless survived, whereas the cells became irreversibly committed to programmed cell death (PCD) if exposed to dexamethasone after 72 h. These results suggest that intestinal epithelial cells may be programmed to activate a PCD pathway upon detachment from a physiologic two-dimensional monolayer configuration, and that this process of adhesion regulated programmed cell death (ARPCD) can be substantially suppressed by expression of a mutant ras oncogene.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of New Arabidopsis thaliana cytochrome c partners: a look into the elusive role of cytochrome c in programmed cell death in plants.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.718104360.793488383 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Gallie

Keyword(s):

Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽

Cell Death ◽

Cytochrome C ◽

Programmed Cell Death

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The role of programmed cell death ligand-1/ programmed cell death-1 (PD-L1/PD-1) in HPV-induced cervical cancer and potential for their use in blockade therapy

Current Medicinal Chemistry ◽

10.2174/0929867327666200128105459 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 27 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lifang Zhang ◽

Yu Zhao ◽

Quanmei Tu ◽

Xiangyang Xue ◽

Xueqiong Zhu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cervical Cancer ◽

Cell Death ◽

Programmed Cell Death ◽

Immune Escape ◽

Hypoxia Inducible Factor ◽

Hpv Infection ◽

Advanced Cervical Cancer ◽

Cervical Carcinogenesis ◽

Programmed Cell Death 1

Background: Cervical cancer induced by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) remains a leading cause of mortality for women worldwide although preventive vaccines and early diagnosis have reduced morbidity and mortality. Advanced cervical cancer can only be treated with either chemotherapy or radiotherapy but outcomes are poor. The median survival for advanced cervical cancer patients is only 16.8 months. Methods: We undertook a structural search of peer-reviewed published studies based on 1). Characteristics of programmed cell death ligand-1/programmed cell death-1(PD-L1/PD-1) expression in cervical cancer and upstream regulatory signals of PD-L1/PD-1 expression, 2). The role of the PD-L1/PD-1 axis in cervical carcinogenesis induced by HPV infection and 3). Whether the PD-L1/PD-1 axis has emerged as a potential target for cervical cancer therapies. Results: One hundred and twenty-six published papers were included in the review, demonstrating that expression of PD-L1/PD-1 is associated with HPV-caused cancer, especially with HPV 16 and 18 which account for approximately 70% of cervical cancer cases. HPV E5/E6/E7 oncogenes activate multiple signaling pathways including PI3K/AKT, MAPK, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α, STAT3/NF-kB and MicroRNAs, which regulate PD-L1/PD-1 axis to promote HPV-induced cervical carcinogenesis. The PD-L1/PD-1 axis plays a crucial role in immune escape of cervical cancer through inhibition of host immune response. creating an "immune-privileged" site for initial viral infection and subsequent adaptive immune resistance, which provides a rationale for therapeutic blockade of this axis in HPV-positive cancers. Currently, Phase I/II clinical trials evaluating the effects of PD-L1/PD-1 targeted therapies are in progress for cervical carcinoma, which provide an important opportunity for the application of anti-PD-L1/anti-PD-1 antibodies in cervical cancer treatment. Conclusion: Recent research developments have led to an entirely new class of drugs using antibodies against the PD-L1/PD-1 thus promoting the body’s immune system to fight the cancer. The expression and roles of the PD-L1/ PD-1 axis in the progression of cervical cancer provide great potential for using PD-L1/PD-1 antibodies as a targeted cancer therapy.

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