共查询到20条相似文献,搜索用时 15 毫秒
1.
2.
Cummings C Walder J Treeful A Jemmerson R 《Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death》2006,11(7):1121-1129
Cytochrome c (Cyt c) has been implicated as a serum marker for aberrant apoptosis and, thus, has considerable clinical potential. Using a sandwich
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) we found that the sensitivity of Cyt c detection is reduced in the presence of serum. The inhibitory factor responsible was purified from both fetal bovine serum
and human serum employing standard chromatography procedures followed by affinity chromatography on Affi-Gel 10-bound Cyt c. In SDS-PAGE, bands at 44 kD and 50 kD were observed for the bovine and human proteins, respectively. Mass spectrometry analysis
identified the serum inhibitory factor as leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein-1 (LRα2GP1). This identification may lead to a
modified ELISA to quantify total Cyt c in patients’ sera. LRα2GP1 is the first extracellular ligand for Cyt c that has been identified. A physiological function associated with binding is suggested.
Supported by: NIH NINDS 5R21-NS45589 相似文献
3.
Potokar M Kreft M Chowdhury HH Vardjan N Zorec R 《American journal of physiology. Cell physiology》2006,290(3):C672-C677
A key step in the intrinsic apoptotic pathway is the assembly of the apoptosome complex. The apoptosome components are well known; however, the physiology of the assembly of the apoptosome complex at the cellular level is still poorly defined. The aim of this work was to study the subcellular distribution of the apoptosome scaffold protein apoptotic protease-activating factor 1 (Apaf-1) before and after triggering apoptosis in single somatotrophs. Somatotrophs are the subject of extensive pituitary tissue remodeling in different physiological situations in which the quality and the number of pituitary cells are determined by cell proliferation and apoptosis. We show herein that 2 h after triggering apoptosis with rotenone, Apaf-1 redistributed to the proximity of mitochondria. In addition, the degree of colocalization between Apaf-1 and fluorescently labeled caspase-9 significantly increased during the same period. Furthermore, we show herein for the first time in single cells that the colocalization between Apaf-1 and cytochrome c increases only transiently, indicating a transient interaction between cytochrome c and Apaf-1 during the activation of apoptosis in these cells. cytochrome c; caspase-9; apoptosis; apoptosome complex 相似文献
4.
Sharonov GV Feofanov AV Bocharova OV Astapova MV Dedukhova VI Chernyak BV Dolgikh DA Arseniev AS Skulachev VP Kirpichnikov MP 《Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death》2005,10(4):797-808
A non-traumatic electroporation procedure was developed to load exogenous cytochrome c into the cytoplasm and to study the apoptotic effect of cytochrome c, its K72-substitued mutants and “yeast → horse” hybrid cytochrome c in living WEHI-3 cells. The minimum apoptosis-activating intracellular concentration of horse heart cytochrome c was estimated to be 2.7 ± 0.5 μM (47 ± 9 fg/cell). The equieffective concentrations of the K72A-, K72E- and K72L-substituted mutants of cytochrome c were five-, 15- and 70-fold higher. The “yeast → horse” hybrid created by introducing S2D, K4E, A7K, T8K, and K11V substitutions (horse protein numbering) and deleting five N-terminal residues in yeast cytochrome c did not evoke apoptotic activity in mammalian cells. The apoptotic function of cytochrome c was abolished by the K72W substitution. The K72W-substituted cytochrome c possesses reduced affinity to the apoptotic protease activating factor-1 (Apaf-1) and forms an inactive complex. This mutant is competent as a respiratory-chain electron carrier and well suited for knock-in studies of cytochrome c-mediated apoptosis. 相似文献
5.
Mridusmita Saikia Raul Jobava Marc Parisien Andrea Putnam Dawid Krokowski Xing-Huang Gao Bo-Jhih Guan Yiyuan Yuan Eckhard Jankowsky Zhaoyang Feng Guo-fu Hu Marianne Pusztai-Carey Madhavi Gorla Naresh Babu V. Sepuri Tao Pan Maria Hatzoglou 《Molecular and cellular biology》2014,34(13):2450-2463
Adaptation to changes in extracellular tonicity is essential for cell survival. However, severe or chronic hyperosmotic stress induces apoptosis, which involves cytochrome c (Cyt c) release from mitochondria and subsequent apoptosome formation. Here, we show that angiogenin-induced accumulation of tRNA halves (or tiRNAs) is accompanied by increased survival in hyperosmotically stressed mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Treatment of cells with angiogenin inhibits stress-induced formation of the apoptosome and increases the interaction of small RNAs with released Cyt c in a ribonucleoprotein (Cyt c-RNP) complex. Next-generation sequencing of RNA isolated from the Cyt c-RNP complex reveals that 20 tiRNAs are highly enriched in the Cyt c-RNP complex. Preferred components of this complex are 5′ and 3′ tiRNAs of specific isodecoders within a family of isoacceptors. We also demonstrate that Cyt c binds tiRNAs in vitro, and the pool of Cyt c-interacting RNAs binds tighter than individual tiRNAs. Finally, we show that angiogenin treatment of primary cortical neurons exposed to hyperosmotic stress also decreases apoptosis. Our findings reveal a connection between angiogenin-generated tiRNAs and cell survival in response to hyperosmotic stress and suggest a novel cellular complex involving Cyt c and tiRNAs that inhibits apoptosome formation and activity. 相似文献
6.
José M. García-Heredia Antonio Díaz-Quintana Maria Salzano Mar Orzáez Enrique Pérez-Payá Miguel Teixeira Miguel A. De la Rosa Irene Díaz-Moreno 《Journal of biological inorganic chemistry》2011,16(8):1155-1168
Cytochrome c (Cc) is a key protein in cell life (respiration) and cell death (apoptosis). On the one hand, it serves as a mitochondrial redox
carrier, transferring electrons between the membrane-embedded complexes III and IV. On the other hand, it acts as a cytoplasmic
apoptosis-triggering agent, forming the apoptosome with apoptosis protease-activating factor-1 (Apaf-1) and activating the
caspase cascade. The two functions of cytochrome c are finely tuned by the phosphorylation of tyrosines and, in particular, those located at positions 48 and 97. However, the
specific cytochrome c-phosphorylating kinase is still unknown. To study the structural and functional changes induced by tyrosine phosphorylation
in cytochrome c, we studied the two phosphomimetic mutants Y48E and Y97E, in which each tyrosine residue is replaced by glutamate. Such substitutions
alter both the physicochemical features and the function of each mutant compared with the native protein. Y97E is significantly
less stable than the WT species, whereas Y48E not only exhibits lower values for the alkaline transition pK
a and the midpoint redox potential, but it also impairs Apaf-1-mediated caspase activation. Altogether, these findings suggest
that the specific phosphorylation of Tyr48 makes cytochrome c act as an anti-apoptotic switch. 相似文献
7.
Raghu Gogada Michael Amadori Honghao Zhang Anthony Jones Alissa Verone Jason Pitarresi Sirisha Jandhyam Varun Prabhu Jennifer D Black Dhyan Chandra 《Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.)》2011,10(23):4128-4137
Previous studies have demonstrated that curcumin induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. However, understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying curcumin-induced cell death remains limited. In this study, we demonstrate that curcumin treatment of cancer cells caused dose- and time-dependent caspase 3 activation, which is required for apoptosis as confirmed using the pan-caspase inhibitor, z-VAD. Knockdown experiments and knockout cells excluded a role for caspase 8 in curcumin-induced caspase 3 activation. In contrast, Apaf-1 deficiency or silencing inhibited the activity of caspase 3, pointing to a requisite role of Apaf-1 in curcumin-induced apoptotic cell death. Curcumin treatment led to Apaf-1 upregulation, both at the protein and mRNA levels. Cytochrome c release from mitochondria to the cytosol in curcumin-treated cells was associated with upregulation of pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, Bid and Bim. Cross-linking experiments demonstrated Bax oligomerization during curcumin-induced apoptosis, suggesting that induced expression of Bax, Bid and Bim causes Bax channel formation on the mitochondrial membrane. The release of cytochrome c was unaltered in p53-deficient cells, whereas absence of p21 blocked cytochrome c release, caspase activation and apoptosis. Importantly, p21 deficiency resulted in reduced expression of Apaf-1 during curcumin treatment, indicating a requirement for p21 in Apaf-1-dependent caspase activation and apoptosis. Together, our findings identify Apaf-1, Bax and p21 as novel potential targets for curcumin or curcumin-based anticancer agents.Key words: curcumin, mitochondria, cytochrome c, Apaf-1, caspase, p21 相似文献
8.
Complex structure of cytochrome c–cytochrome c oxidase reveals a novel protein–protein interaction mode
下载免费PDF全文
![点击此处可从《The EMBO journal》网站下载免费的PDF全文](/ch/ext_images/free.gif)
Satoru Shimada Kyoko Shinzawa‐Itoh Junpei Baba Shimpei Aoe Atsuhiro Shimada Eiki Yamashita Jiyoung Kang Masaru Tateno Shinya Yoshikawa Tomitake Tsukihara 《The EMBO journal》2017,36(3):291-300
Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) transfers electrons from cytochrome c (Cyt.c) to O2 to generate H2O, a process coupled to proton pumping. To elucidate the mechanism of electron transfer, we determined the structure of the mammalian Cyt.c–CcO complex at 2.0‐Å resolution and identified an electron transfer pathway from Cyt.c to CcO. The specific interaction between Cyt.c and CcO is stabilized by a few electrostatic interactions between side chains within a small contact surface area. Between the two proteins are three water layers with a long inter‐molecular span, one of which lies between the other two layers without significant direct interaction with either protein. Cyt.c undergoes large structural fluctuations, using the interacting regions with CcO as a fulcrum. These features of the protein–protein interaction at the docking interface represent the first known example of a new class of protein–protein interaction, which we term “soft and specific”. This interaction is likely to contribute to the rapid association/dissociation of the Cyt.c–CcO complex, which facilitates the sequential supply of four electrons for the O2 reduction reaction. 相似文献
9.
D Faccenda C H Tan A Seraphim M R Duchen M Campanella 《Cell death and differentiation》2013,20(5):686-697
Mitochondrial structure has a central role both in energy conversion and in the regulation of cell death. We have previously shown that IF1 protects cells from necrotic cell death and supports cristae structure by promoting the oligomerisation of the F1Fo-ATPsynthase. As IF1 is upregulated in a large proportion of human cancers, we have here explored its contribution to the progression of apoptosis and report that an increased expression of IF1, relative to the F1Fo-ATPsynthase, protects cells from apoptotic death. We show that IF1 expression serves as a checkpoint for the release of Cytochrome c (Cyt c) and hence the completion of the apoptotic program. We show that the progression of apoptosis engages an amplification pathway mediated by: (i) Cyt c-dependent release of ER Ca2+, (ii) Ca2+-dependent recruitment of the GTPase Dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), (iii) Bax insertion into the outer mitochondrial membrane and (iv) further release of Cyt c. This pathway is accelerated by suppression of IF1 and delayed by its overexpression. IF1 overexpression is associated with the preservation of mitochondrial morphology and ultrastructure, consistent with a central role for IF1 as a determinant of the inner membrane architecture and with the role of mitochondrial ultrastructure in the regulation of Cyt c release. These data suggest that IF1 is an antiapoptotic and potentially tumorigenic factor and may be a valuable predictor of responsiveness to chemotherapy. 相似文献
10.
Somayeh Karimzadeh Saman Hosseinkhani Ali Fathi Farangis Ataei Hossein Baharvand 《European journal of cell biology》2018,97(2):126-135
Recent evidence suggests that mitochondrial apoptosis regulators and executioners may regulate differentiation, without being involved in cell death. However, the involved factors and their roles in differentiation and apoptosis are still not fully determined. In the present study, we compared mitochondrial pathway of cell death during early neural differentiation from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Our results demonstrated that ROS generation, cytosolic cytochrome c release, caspases activation and rise in p53 protein level occurred upon either neural or apoptosis induction in hESCs. However, unlike apoptosis, no remarkable increase in apoptotic protease activating factor-1 (Apaf-1) level at early stages of differentiation was observed. Also the caspase-like activity of caspase-9 and caspase-3/7 were seen less than apoptosis. The results suggest that low levels of Apaf-1 as an adaptor protein might be considered as a possible regulatory barrier by which differentiating cells control cell death upon rise in ROS production and cytochrome c release from mitochondria. Better understanding of mechanisms via which mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathway promote neural differentiation can result in development of novel therapeutic approaches. 相似文献
11.
Constitutively active tyrosine kinases promote leukemogenesis by increasing cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis. However, mechanisms underlying apoptotic inhibition have not been fully elucidated. In many settings, apoptosis occurs by mitochondrial cytochrome c release, which nucleates the Apaf-1/caspase-9 apoptosome. Here we report that the leukemogenic kinases, Bcr-Abl, FLT3/D835Y, and Tel-PDGFRβ, all can inhibit apoptosome function. In cells expressing these kinases, the previously reported apoptosome inhibitor, Hsp90β, bound strongly to Apaf-1, preventing cytochrome c-induced Apaf-1 oligomerization and caspase-9 recruitment. Hsp90β interacted weakly with the apoptosome in untransformed cells. While Hsp90β was phosphorylated at Ser 226/Ser 255 in untransformed cells, phosphorylation was absent in leukemic cells. Expression of mutant Hsp90β (S226A/S255A), which mimics the hypophosphorylated form in leukemic cells, conferred resistance to cytochrome c-induced apoptosome activation in normal cells, reflecting enhanced binding of nonphosphorylatable Hsp90β to Apaf-1. In Bcr-Abl-positive mouse bone marrow cells, nonphosphorylatable Hsp90β expression conferred imatinib (Gleevec) resistance. These data provide an explanation for apoptosome inhibition by activated leukemogenic tyrosine kinases and suggest that alterations in Hsp90β-apoptosome interactions may contribute to chemoresistance in leukemias. 相似文献
12.
The Nitric Oxide Prodrug JS‐K Induces Ca2+‐Mediated Apoptosis in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma HepG2 Cells
下载免费PDF全文
![点击此处可从《Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology》网站下载免费的PDF全文](/ch/ext_images/free.gif)
Ling Liu Dongmei Wang Jiangang Wang Shuying Wang 《Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology》2016,30(4):192-199
Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common and deadly forms of human malignancies. JS‐K, O2‐(2, 4‐dinitrophenyl) 1‐ [(4‐ethoxycarbonyl) piperazin‐1‐yl] diazen‐1‐ium‐1, 2‐diolate, has the ability to induce apoptosis of tumor cell lines. In the present study, JS‐K inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells in a time‐ and concentration‐dependent manner and significantly induced apoptosis. JS‐K enhanced the ratio of Bax‐to‐Bcl‐2, released of cytochrome c (Cyt c) from mitochondria and the activated caspase‐9/3. JS‐K caused an increasing cytosolic Ca2+ and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Carboxy‐PTIO (a NO scavenger) and BAPTA‐AM (an intracellular Ca2+ chelator) significantly blocked an increasing cytosolic Ca2+ in JS‐K‐induced HepG2 cells apoptosis, especially Carboxy‐PTIO. Meanwhile, Carboxy‐PTIO and BAPTA‐AM treatment both attenuate JS‐K‐induced apoptosis through upregulation of Bcl‐2, downregulation of Bax, reduction of Cyt c release from mitochondria to cytoplasm and inactivation of caspase‐9/3. In summary, JS‐K induced HepG2 cells apoptosis via Ca2+/caspase‐3‐mediated mitochondrial pathway. 相似文献
13.
Thomas F. Reubold Sabine Wohlgemuth Susanne Eschenburg 《The Journal of biological chemistry》2009,284(47):32717-32724
The cytosolic adaptor protein Apaf-1 is a key player in the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Binding of mitochondrially released cytochrome c and of dATP or ATP to Apaf-1 induces the formation of the heptameric apoptosome complex, which in turn activates procaspase-9. We have re-investigated the chain of events leading from monomeric autoinhibited Apaf-1 to the functional apoptosome in vitro. We demonstrate that Apaf-1 does not require energy from nucleotide hydrolysis to eventually form the apoptosome. Despite a low intrinsic hydrolytic activity of the autoinhibited Apaf-1 monomer, nucleotide hydrolysis does not occur at any stage of the process. Rather, mere binding of ATP in concert with the binding of cytochrome c primes Apaf-1 for assembly. Contradicting the current view, there is no strict requirement for an adenine base in the nucleotide. On the basis of our results, we present a new model for the mechanism of apoptosome assembly. 相似文献
14.
A chemical inhibitor of Apaf-1 exerts mitochondrioprotective functions and interferes with the intra-S-phase DNA damage checkpoint 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
Laura Mondragón Lorenzo Galluzzi Shahul Mouhamad Mar Orzáez José-Miguel Vicencio Ilio Vitale Alejandra Moure Angel Messeguer Enrique Perez-Paya Guido Kroemer 《Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death》2009,14(2):182-190
QM31 represents a new class of cytoprotective agents that inhibit the formation of the apoptosome, the caspase activation
complex composed by Apaf-1, cytochrome c, dATP and caspase-9. Here, we analyzed the cellular effects of QM31, as compared to the prototypic caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-fmk.
QM31 was as efficient as Z-VAD-fmk in suppressing caspase-3 activation, and conferred a similar cytoprotective effect. In
contrast to Z-VAD-fmk, QM31 inhibited the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, an unforeseen property that may contribute to its pronounced cytoprotective activity. Moreover, QM31 suppressed
the Apaf-1-dependent intra-S-phase DNA damage checkpoint. These results suggest that QM31 can interfere with the two known
functions of Apaf-1, namely apoptosome assembly/activation and intra-S-phase cell cycle arrest. Moreover, QM31 can inhibit
mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, an effect that is independent from its action on Apaf-1. 相似文献
15.
16.
《Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry》2013,77(10):2044-2051
The appearance of NO2 ? reducing activity of cytochrome c (Cyt c) upon heat denaturation was investigated with equine heart Cyt c. Denatured equine heart Cyt c (dCyt c), which was treated at 100°C for 30 min, had NO2 ? reducing activity in the presence of dithionite and methylviologen in an aqueous solution under anaerobic conditions. In contrast, hemoglobin and myoglobin had no such activity under the same conditions. Using spectroscopic methods, we found that the appearance of this activity in the Cyt c was due to the following intramolecular changes: unfolding of the peptide chain, exposure of the heme, dissociation of the sixth ligand methionine sulfur, and appearance of autoxidizability. The dCyt c catalyzed NO2 ? reduction to NH4 + via ferrous-NO complexes, and this reaction was a 6-electron and 8-proton reduction. Sepharose-immobilized dCyt c had activity similar strength to that in solution. The resin retained the activity after five uses and even after storage for 1 year. On the basis of these results, we concluded that Cyt c acquired a new catalytic activity upon heat treatment, unlike to other familiar biological molecules. 相似文献
17.
《Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.)》2013,12(8):1001-1003
The pathway of apoptosis is conserved in the three model species: mammals, Drosophila, and C. elegans. The apoptotic protease-activating factor 1, an essential protein conserved in all three species, is responsible for the activation of the initiator caspase-9 in mammalian cells. The structure of the auto-inhibited form of Apaf-1 reveals a critical role for ADP, which serves as an organizing center for four adjoining domains. The ADP-binding pocket contains features that are important for designing other nucleotide analogs. ATP binding is a pre-requisite for the formation of the apoptosome. Despite strong sequence conservation between Apaf-1 and its orthologues in Drosophila and C. elegans, it is unclear whether they employ similar mechanisms for their own activation and for activating caspases. Much of the underlying mechanisms remain to be investigated by structural biology and biochemistry. 相似文献
18.
Decreased expression of Apaf-1 with progression of melanoma 总被引:3,自引:0,他引:3
Mustika R Budiyanto A Nishigori C Ichihashi M Ueda M 《Pigment cell research / sponsored by the European Society for Pigment Cell Research and the International Pigment Cell Society》2005,18(1):59-62
Defects in apoptotic system may contribute in the pathogenesis and resistance of malignant melanoma cells to chemotherapy. Apoptotic protease-activating factor-1 (Apaf-1) is a cell death effector that acts with cytochrome c and caspase-9 to mediate apoptosis. Recently it was shown that metastatic melanomas often lose Apaf-1 and are concomitantly resistant to apoptosis. It is not known, however, whether Apaf-1 protein is lost during melanoma progression from localized to metastatic tumor. To this end, we evaluated Apaf-1 protein expression by immunohistochemistry in 10 cases of human nevi, 11 melanomas in situ, 26 primary melanomas and 15 metastases. Significant decreases in Apaf-1 expression was observed when comparing nevi and melanomas (chi-square = 33.719; P < 0.0001). Moreover, primary melanomas with greater tumor thickness showed lesser expression of Apaf-1 (chi-square = 16.182; P < 0.003). Intriguingly, we were unable to detect Apaf-1 expression in lesions of metastatic melanomas. These data demonstrated that there is an inverse correlation between Apaf-1 expression and pathologic stage of melanoma. This suggests that the decreased expression of Apaf-1 seen in correlation with melanoma progression renders melanoma more resistant to chemotherapy. 相似文献
19.
Magali Nicolier Anne‐Zélie Decrion‐Barthod Sophie Launay Jean‐Luc Prétet Christiane Mougin 《Biology of the cell / under the auspices of the European Cell Biology Organization》2009,101(8):455-467
Background information. Caspase‐dependent and ‐independent death mechanisms are involved in apoptosis in a variety of human carcinoma cells treated with antineoplastic compounds. Our laboratory has reported that p53 is a key contributor of mitochondrial apoptosis in cervical carcinoma cells after staurosporine exposure. However, higher mitochondrial membrane potential dissipation and greater DNA fragmentation were observed in p53wt (wild‐type p53) HeLa cells compared with p53mt (mutated p53) C‐33A cells. Here, we have studied events linked to the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Results. Staurosporine can induce death of HeLa cells via a cytochrome c/caspase‐9/caspase‐3 mitochondrial‐dependent apoptotic pathway and via a delayed caspase‐independent pathway. In contrast with p53wt cells, p53mt C‐33A cells exhibit firstly caspase‐8 activation leading to caspase‐3 activation and Bid cleavage followed by cytochrome c release. Attenuation of PARP‐1 [poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase‐1] cleavage as well as oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation in the presence of z‐VAD‐fmk points toward a major involvement of a caspase‐dependent pathway in staurosporine‐induced apoptosis in p53wt HeLa cells, which is not the case in p53mt C‐33A cells. Meanwhile, the use of 3‐aminobenzamide, a PARP‐1 inhibitor known to prevent AIF (apoptosis‐inducing factor) release, significantly decreases staurosporine‐induced death in these p53mt carcinoma cells, suggesting a preferential implication of caspase‐independent apoptosis. On the other hand, we show that p53, whose activity is modulated by pifithrin‐α, isolated as a suppressor of p53‐mediated transactivation, or by PRIMA‐1 (p53 reactivation and induction of massive apoptosis), that reactivates mutant p53, causes cytochrome c release as well as mitochondrio—nuclear AIF translocation in staurosporine‐induced apoptosis of cervical carcinoma cells. Conclusions. The present paper highlights that staurosporine engages the intrinsic mitochondrial apoptotic pathway via caspase‐8 or caspase‐9 signalling cascades and via caspase‐independent cell death, as well as through p53 activity. 相似文献
20.
Specific ablation of the apoptotic functions of cytochrome C reveals a differential requirement for cytochrome C and Apaf-1 in apoptosis 总被引:13,自引:0,他引:13
Hao Z Duncan GS Chang CC Elia A Fang M Wakeham A Okada H Calzascia T Jang Y You-Ten A Yeh WC Ohashi P Wang X Mak TW 《Cell》2005,121(4):579-591
As components of the apoptosome, a caspase-activating complex, cytochrome c (Cyt c) and Apaf-1 are thought to play critical roles during apoptosis. Due to the obligate function of Cyt c in electron transport, its requirement for apoptosis in animals has been difficult to establish. We generated "knockin" mice expressing a mutant Cyt c (KA allele), which retains normal electron transfer function but fails to activate Apaf-1. Most KA/KA mice displayed embryonic or perinatal lethality caused by defects in the central nervous system, and surviving mice exhibited impaired lymphocyte homeostasis. Although fibroblasts from the KA/KA mice were resistant to apoptosis, their thymocytes were markedly more sensitive to death stimuli than Apaf-1(-/-) thymocytes. Upon treatment with gamma irradiation, procaspases were efficiently activated in apoptotic KA/KA thymocytes, but Apaf-1 oligomerization was not observed. These studies indicate the existence of a Cyt c- and apoptosome-independent but Apaf-1-dependent mechanism(s) for caspase activation. 相似文献