Cancer cells evade cellular death pathways, such as apoptosis, in order to ensure an uncontrollable growth as well as resistance to various treatments. Dysregulation of the BCL-2 family of proteins that critically regulate the intrinsic apoptotic pathway contributes to the pathogenesis of cancer [1]. A major mechanism of cancer progression relies on the overexpression of anti-apoptotic BCL-2 pr...

Inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP)-like protein-1 (ILP-1) (also known as X-linked IAP [XIAP] and mammalian IAP homolog A [MIHA]) is a potent inhibitor of apoptosis and exerts its effects, at least in part, by the direct association with and inhibition of specific caspases. Here, we describe the molecular cloning and characterization of a human gene related to ILP-1, termed ILP-2. Despite high...

Expression of the proapoptotic protein Bax under the control of a GAL10 promoter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae resulted in galactose-inducible cell death. Immunofluorescence studies suggested that Bax is principally associated with mitochondria in yeast cells. Removal of the carboxyl-terminal transmembrane (TM) domain from Bax [creating Bax (deltaTM)] prevented targeting to mitochondrial and comp...

The proapoptotic protein BAX contains a single predicted transmembrane domain at its COOH terminus. In unstimulated cells, BAX is located in the cytosol and in peripheral association with intracellular membranes including mitochondria, but inserts into mitochondrial membranes after a death signal. This failure to insert into mitochondrial membrane in the absence of a death signal correlates wit...

An association of increased apoptosis with overactivity of the local angiotensin-converting enzyme has been reported in cells from the left ventricle of adult rats with spontaneous hypertension (SHR). To gain insight into the regulation of cardiac apoptosis in arterial hypertension, we investigated the expression of the proteins Bcl-2 (an inhibitor of apoptosis) and Bax (an inducer of apoptosis...

ANG II has been demonstrated to play a role in the progression of tubulointerstial injury. We studied the direct effect of ANG II on apoptosis of cultured rat renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (RPTECs). ANG II promoted RPTEC apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This effect of ANG II was attenuated by anti-transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta antibody. Moreover, TGF-beta trigge...

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes the UL37 exon 1 protein (pUL37x1), which is the potent viral mitochondrion-localized inhibitor of apoptosis (vMIA), to increase survival of infected cells. HCMV vMIA traffics from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to ER subdomains, which are physically linked to mitochondria known as mitochondrion-associated membranes (MAM), and to mitochondria. The antiapoptot...

Abstract Background Secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (SFRP5) is an endogenous inhibitor of Wnt5a (wingless-type family member 5a), which has been implicated in anti-inflammatory response. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether SFRP5 could protect chondrocytes against LPS-induced inflammation and apoptosis. Methods ATDC5 cells that overexpressed with or not were challenged LPS observe...

Recently, as the anti-aging role of melanin in skin and inhibition production has been identified, development materials capable maintaining homeostasis attracting attention. In this study, we further investigated anti-melanogenic effect Codonopsis pilosula extract (CPE) and, under oxidative stress, cytoprotective Melan-a melanocytes exposed to H2O2. First, CPE treatment significantly reduced b...