1,720,999 research outputs found
BAG-1: a multi-functional pro-survival molecule
No full textBAG-1 is a multi-functional protein that exists as three functionally distinct and differentially localized isoforms which originate from a single mRNA and interact with a wide range of cellular targets. These include heat shock proteins, nuclear hormone receptors, signalling molecules, the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 protein and components of the ubiquitylation/proteasome machinery. Overexpression of BAG-1 isoforms has been demonstrated to regulate apoptosis, proliferation, transcription, metastasis and cell motility in a wide variety of cell systems. Since BAG-1 has a role in many biological pathways there is increasing evidence supporting the view that BAG-1 is an important molecule in disease, for example, potentially modulating both cell survival and response to nuclear hormones in breast cancer, and BAG-1 is a potential molecular target for therapeutic intervention
Regulating the genome surveillance system: miRNAs and the p53 super family
No full textThe p53 gene super family consists of three members; TP53, TP63 and TP73, encoding proteins p53, p63 and p73. Whilst p63 appears to have an essential role in embryonic development with a less clear role in carcinogenesis, irregularities in p53 and p73 signalling are implicated in tumour formation. As such, p53 is a tumour suppressor which is mutated in over 50% cancers and p73 was recently formally classified as a tumour suppressor based on data showing p73 deficient mice generate spontaneous tumours similar to those observed in p53 null mice. Dysregulation of both p53 and p73 has been correlated with cancer progression in many cell types and although mutation of these genes is often observed, some form of p53/p73 deregulation likely occurs in all tumour cells. The discovery that complementary micro RNAs (miRNAs) are able to target both of these genes provides a potential new means of perturbing p53/p73 signalling networks in cancer cells. Here we summarise the current literature regarding the involvement of miRNAs in the modulation of p53 family proteins and cancer development and detail the use of in silico methods to reveal key miRNA target
STAT3 deletion sensitizes cells to oxidative stress
No full textThe transcription factor STAT1 plays a role in promoting apoptotic cell death, whereas the related STAT3 transcription factor protects cardiac myocytes from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury or oxidative stress. Cytokines belonging to the IL-6 family activate the JAK-STAT3 pathway, but also activate other cytoprotective pathways such as the MAPK-ERK or the PI3-AKT pathway. It is therefore unclear whether STAT3 is the only cytoprotective mediator against oxidative stress-induced cell death. Overexpression of STAT3 in primary neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVM) protects against I/R-induced cell death. Moreover, a dominant negative STAT3 adenovirus (Ad ST3-DN) enhanced apoptotic cell death (81.2 ± 6.9%) compared to control infected NRVM (46.0 ± 3.1%) following I/R. Depletion of STAT3 sensitized cells to apoptotic cell death following oxidative stress. These results provide direct evidence for the role of STAT3 as a cytoprotective transcription factor in cells exposed to oxidative stres
Retracted. ERK and the F-box protein betaTRCP target STAT1 for degradation
No full textThis article has been withdrawn by Paul A. Townsend, Richard A. Knight, Sean P. Barry, David S. Latchman, and Anastasis Stephanou. An investigation at University College London determined that a duplicated blot in Fig. 1, A and B, the GAPDH blot is the same, flipped horizontally. The withdrawing authors sincerely apologize to the scientific community for any confusion or adverse consequences resulting from the publication of the article. Original Abstract:The transcription factor STAT1 has roles in development, homeostasis, cellular differentiation, and apoptosis and has been postulated to function as a tumor suppressor. STAT1 is activated by tyrosine or serine phosphorylation in response to specific cytokines or following a variety of stress-induced stimuli. STAT1 activity is carefully regulated to prevent sustained STAT1-mediated transcription, although the molecular mechanisms involved in the modulation of STAT1 stability are poorly understood. Here we show that activated STAT1 is degraded at the proteasome by a mechanism involving the F-box E3 ligase, SCF(betaTRCP). Active p42/p44 MAPK-ERK phosphorylates STAT1 on serine 727 and targets it for proteasomal degradation. SCF(betaTRCP) binds wild-type STAT1 but not the nonphosphorylatable mutant STAT1(S727A). Moreover, silencing betaTRCP expression or pharmacological inhibition of ERK activity stabilized STAT1 expression. These data suggest that constitutively active ERK may inappropriately degrade STAT1, with loss of its pro-apoptotic and tumor suppressor functions
Clinical implications of apoptosis in ischemic myocardium
No full textApoptosis, a genetically programmed form of cell death, contributes to myocyte cell loss in a variety of cardiac pathologies, including cardiac failure and those related to ischemia/reperfusion injury. The apoptotic program is complex, involving both pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins, and apoptosis occurs when the equilibrium between these opposing factors is perturbed. Some of these factors are intrinsic to the apoptotic pathway, such as the pro- and anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl2 family. Other, extrinsic, cellular factors can also modify the outcome of the response to an apoptotic stimulus. In this review, we have focused on some of these extrinsic factors, such as STAT-1 as a pro-apoptotic agent and the urocortins and Bag-1 as anti-apoptotic factors, since these may be potential therapeutic targets. In addition, we discuss the profound cytoprotective effects of the antibiotic, minocycline
STAT-1 interacts with p53 to enhance DNA damage-induced apoptosis
No full textThe STAT-1 transcription factor has been implicated as a tumor suppressor by virtue of its ability to inhibit cell growth and promoting apoptosis. However, the mechanisms by which STAT-1 mediates these effects remain unclear. Using human and mouse STAT-1-deficient cells, we show here that STAT-1 is required for optimal DNA damage-induced apoptosis. The basal level of the p53 inhibitor Mdm2 is increased in STAT-1(-/-) cells, suggesting that STAT-1 is a negative regulator of Mdm2 expression. Correspondingly, both basal p53 levels, and those induced by DNA damage were lower in STAT-1(-/-) cells. In agreement with this lower p53 response to DNA damage in cells lacking STAT-1, the induction of p53 responsive genes, such as Bax, Noxa, and Fas, was reduced in STAT-1-deficient cells. Conversely, STAT-1 overexpression enhances transcription of these genes, an effect that is abolished if the p53 response element in their promoters is mutated. Moreover, STAT-1 interacts directly with p53, an association, which is enhanced following DNA damage. Therefore, in addition to negatively regulating Mdm2, STAT-1 also acts as a coactivator for p53. Hence STAT-1 is another member of a growing family of protein partners able to modulate the p53-activated apoptotic pathwa
Role of the JAK-STAT pathway in myocardial injury
No full textCardiovascular pathologies are an enormous burden in human health and despite the vast amount of research; the molecular mechanisms and pathways that control the underlying pathologies are still not fully appreciated. The Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway has recently been shown to be an integral part of the response of the myocardium to various cardiac insults, including myocardial infarction, oxidative damage, myocarditis, hypertrophy and remodeling, in addition to having a prominent role in cardioprotective therapies such as ischaemic preconditioning. Here, recent advances in the understanding of how the JAK-STAT pathway orchestrates the response to cellular damage in the myocardium are discussed, along with the potential benefits and challenges in manipulating this pathway in cardiovascular therapy
STAT3 modulates the DNA damage response pathway
No full textThe STAT3 transcription factor is well known to function as an anti-apoptotic factor, especially in numerous malignancies. Recently we showed that STAT3 is cytoprotective and that cells lacking STAT3 are more sensitive to oxidative stress. A key feature of oxidative stress involves activation of the DNA damage pathway. However, a role for STAT3 or its contribution in response to DNA damage has not been described. In the present study we show that cells lacking STAT3 are less efficient in repairing damaged DNA. Moreover, STAT3 deficient cells show reduced activity of the ATM-Chk2 and ATR-Chk1 pathways, both important pathways in sensing DNA damage. Finally we show that MDC1, a regulator of the ATM-Chk2 pathway and facilitator of the DNA damage response, is modulated by STAT3 at the transcriptional level. These findings demonstrate that STAT3 is necessary for efficient repair of damaged DNA, partly by modulating the ATM-Chk2 and ATR-Chk1 pathways
The carboxyl-terminal activation domain of the STAT-1 transcription factor enhances ischemia/reperfusion-induced apoptosis in cardiac myocytes
No full textWe have demonstrated previously that the STAT-1 transcription factor plays a key role in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced apoptosis in cardiac myocytes. In the present study we assessed which region of the STAT-1 molecule mediates apoptosis in cardiac myocytes. A STAT-1 construct (amino acid 350-750) lacking the N-terminus could enhance I/R-induced apoptosis in cardiac myocytes. However, a STAT-1 construct, which lacks 60 amino acids at the C-terminus (amino acid 691-750), was ineffective in promoting I/R-induced apoptosis in cardiac myocytes. Furthermore, overexpression of a C-terminal STAT-1 construct (amino acid 691-750) containing the transcriptional activation domain, but not the DNA binding domain, strongly enhanced I/R-induced apoptotic cell death. Cardiac myocytes isolated from mice expressing a truncated C-terminal STAT-1 were more sensitive to I/R-induced cell death. Finally, isolated hearts from these animals exposed to I/R injury had larger infarct size and greater number of TUNEL-positive myocytes than control hearts. These studies demonstrate that the C-terminal transactivation domain of STAT-1 is necessary and sufficient for I/R injury-induced apoptosis in cardiac myocytes
The cardioprotective effect of urocortin during ischaemia/reperfusion involves the prevention of mitochondrial damage
No full textWe have previously shown, using Affymetrix gene chip technology, that urocortin induces the expression of several diverse genes in cardiac myocytes. An ATP sensitive inwardly rectifying potassium channel, Katp (Kir6.1), the enzyme calcium independent phospholipase A2 (iPLA2), and protein kinase C epsilon (PKC?) and that these genes are involved in the cardioprotective mechanism of action of urocortin. Here we demonstrate that these gene products are localized to cardiac myocyte mitochondria and for the first time show that urocortin protects cardiac myocytes from ischaemia/reperfusion induced cell death by preventing mitochondrial damage. Using pharmacological agents to Katp channels and iPLA2 and synthetic peptide inhibitors of PKC?, we go on to demonstrate that these three gene products are involved in the urocortin induced protection of cardiac myocyte mitochondria. These proteins may interact at the mitochondria to produce the protective effect
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