Cytoplasmic Bacteria and the Autophagic Pathway

Cytoplasmic bacteria may assist in our study of the autophagic pathway. This review highlights the use of Listeria monocytogenes for examining the assembly of autophagic vacuoles in mammalian cells. Inhibiting protein synthesis of cytoplasmic L. monocytogenes results in their being sequestered into the autophagic pathway. Autophagic vacuoles form around the easily identified bacterial particles making the assembly process easy to study using morphological and biochemical methods. L. monocytogenes, which appears to be ideally adapted to life in the cell cytoplasm, does not normally become a target of autophagy. In model systems the bacteria thrive within host cell cytoplasm, indicating the importance of de novo protein synthesis in avoiding the autophagic pathway. This observation indicates an interesting opportunity for identifying the bacterial mechanisms that are mobilized to avoid the autophagic pathway.     

Induction of a Common Pathway of Apoptosis by Staurosporine

The present observations show that staurosporine can rapidly trigger both the morphological changes and intranucleosomal DNA fragmentation typical of apoptosis. This occurred in a number of cell lines from various origins regardless of the state of differentiation and cell cycle phase, suggesting the presence of a common inducible suicide pathway. The broad apoptotic activity of staurosporine appears to be unique among other protein kinase or phosphatase inhibitors we tested. Results obtained in a cell-free assay suggest that cytoplasmic proteins directly modulated by staurosporine may be involved in a ubiquitous signal for the induction of DNA fragmentation and apoptosis.     

HIF-1通路在低氧调控神经干细胞发育中的作用

<正>氧气对动物生命至关重要,但长期以来人们一直不清楚细胞如何适应氧气水平的变化.为表彰在"发现细胞如何感知和适应氧气供应"方面所做出的贡献,2019年诺贝尔生理学或医学奖被授予了美国科学家威廉·凯林、格雷格·塞门扎以及英国科学家彼得·拉特克利夫.低氧诱导因子-1(hypoxia-inducible factor-1,HIF-1)是感知低氧的关键蛋白质,通过调控其靶基因的表达来适应不同的氧气水平. HIF-1信号通路在生物发育、代谢、贫血、损伤修复等生理和病理生理过程中具有重要     

circPPP1R12A激活p53信号通路调控骨关节炎中软骨细胞增殖和凋亡

摘要 目的：探讨circPPP1R12A（circ_0000423）调控p53信号通路对骨关节炎（osteoarthritis,OA）中软骨细胞增殖和凋亡的影响。方法：采用qRT-PCR检测circPPP1R12A在OA软骨细胞中的表达水平。在OA软骨细胞中分别转染oe-circPPP1R12A和sh-circPPP1R12A后,采用CCK-8检测细胞增殖情况;免疫荧光检测Ki-67阳性细胞表达率;流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡情况;qRT-PCR检测Ki-67和p53表达水平;Western Blot检测Cleaved-caspase3、P53、BCL-2和BAX的表达水平。结果：OA软骨细胞中circPPP1R12A的表达水平明显高于正常软骨细胞。过表达circPPP1R12A能够抑制OA软骨细胞增殖和促进细胞凋亡,通过上调p53表达激活p53信号通路,低表达circPPP1R12A能够促进OA软骨细胞增殖和抑制细胞凋亡,通过下调p53表达阻滞p53信号通路。在OA软骨细胞中同时低表达circPPP1R12A和过表达p53能够反转单独低表达circPPP1R12A对OA软骨细胞增殖和凋亡的影响。结论：circPPP1R12A在OA软骨细胞中明显高表达,circPPP1R12A能够通过激活p53信号通路抑制骨OA软骨细胞增殖和促进软骨细胞凋亡。circPPP1R12A可能成为OA治疗的干预靶点。     

几种热激蛋白在细胞凋亡信号通路中的调控作用

热激蛋白(heat shock proteins, HSPs)作为进化保守的蛋白家族 之一,普遍存在于各种生物体中,并在生物体内发挥着重要的生理功能.大 量的实验证据表明,热激蛋白与细胞凋亡密切相关,参与细胞凋亡信号通 路的多个环节. 近年来有关该领域的研究已获得了重要的突破与进展.一方 面,热激蛋白主要起着抑制细胞凋亡、促进细胞存活的作用;另一方面, 某些热激蛋白又能够作为凋亡蛋白的分子伴侣,促进细胞凋亡,比如HSP70 能够激活DNase来促使细胞凋亡,线粒体内HSP60能够促进caspase依赖的细 胞凋亡途径.本文在阐明细胞凋亡信号通路的基础上,综述了近年来几种不 同热激蛋白家族（HSP90、 HSP70 、HSP60和小分子HSPs）在细胞凋亡调控 中作用的研究进展,重点阐述了几种主要热激蛋白与细胞凋亡信号通路上 相关因子的相互作用,并绘制了热激蛋白在细胞凋亡信号通路中的调控图 ,为进一步完善细胞凋亡调控网络研究提供一定的参考.     

KML001 Induces Apoptosis and Autophagic Cell Death in Prostate Cancer Cells via Oxidative Stress Pathway

We investigated the effects of KML001 (NaAsO₂, sodium metaarsenite, Kominox), an orally bioavailable arsenic compound, on the growth and death of human prostate cancer cells and its mechanism of action. Growth inhibition was assessed by cytotoxicity assays in the presence or absence of inhibitor of apoptosis, inhibitor of autophagy or antioxidant N-Acetyl-_L-cysteine to study mechanism of cell death induced by KML001 in PC3, DU145 and LNCaP prostate cancer cell lines. Electron microscopy, flow cytometry and Western blotting were used to study apoptotic and autophagic mechanisms. The DU145 xenograft model was used to determine the efficacy of KML001 in vivo. KML001 decreased the viability of cells and increased the percentage of annexin V-positive cells dose-dependently in prostate cancer cells, and LNCaP cells were more sensitive to KML001 than PC3 or DU145 cells. Electron microscopy revealed typical apoptotic characters and autophagic vacuoles in cells treated with KML001. Exposure to KML001 in prostate cancer cells induced apoptosis and autophagy in a time- and dose-dependent manner. KML001 induced dose-dependent accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and scavenging the reactive oxygen species with N-Acetyl-_L-cysteine reduced LC3 and cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. KML001 significantly inhibited tumor growth in the DU145 xenograft model. In addition, significant decrease of proliferation and significant increases of apoptosis and autophagy were observed in KML001-treated tumors than in vehicle-treated tumors. Exposure of human prostate cancer cells to KML001 induced both apoptosis and autophagic cell death via oxidative stress pathway. And KML001 had an antiproliferative effect on DU145 cells in xenograft mice.     

PKC-ERK通路在热损伤诱导单核细胞凋亡中的作用

应用流式细胞检测术、Western印迹、激酶活性测定等技术,检测PKC与ERK在热损伤诱导单核细胞株Raw264.7细胞凋亡中的作用。结果显示热损伤导致PKC短暂激活,PKC激活剂佛波脂(PMA)与热损伤联合作用导致PKC持续活化;并且PKC的持续激活抑制热损伤诱导的Raw264.7细胞凋亡,而PKC的抑制可促进细胞凋亡;ERK活性检测显示热损伤抑制ERK磷酸化,而PMA激活ERK磷酸化活化,并且这种激活作用通过PKC;进一步细胞凋亡检测显示ERK抑制剂PD098059可解除PMA对热损伤诱导Raw264.7细胞凋亡的抑制作用,从而提示PKC通过ERK负调控热损伤诱导的Raw264.7细胞凋亡。     

氧化低密度脂蛋白通过PCSK9/LRP1信号途径促神经细胞凋亡的双向调节

目的 阿尔茨海默病（Alzheimer’s disease, AD）是多种危险因素引起的中枢神经系统退行性疾病,其中神经细胞凋亡是其主要病理基础之一。高脂血症是AD发生的高危因素,可导致脑组织内氧化低密度脂蛋白（oxidized lowdensity lipoprotein,ox-LDL）水平增高。前蛋白转化酶枯草溶菌素9(proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9,PCSK9)是一个与血脂代谢密切相关的蛋白酶,但有研究显示其与AD发生可能相关。本研究旨在探索PCSK9在介导ox-LDL促神经细胞凋亡中的作用及其机制,进一步阐述高脂血症导致AD等神经退行性疾病的发生机制。方法 首先用不同浓度ox-LDL(0、25、50、75、100 mg/L)处理PC12细胞24 h,油红O染色检测PC12细胞脂质蓄积,Hoechst33258染色和流式细胞术检测PC12细胞凋亡,ELISA检测PC12分泌的β淀粉样肽（amyloid β-peptide,Aβ）含量,蛋白质印迹（Western blot）法检测SREBP2、PCSK9和LRP1的表达。然...     

Becn1通过线粒体凋亡途径参与调控肺癌细胞的凋亡过程

自噬相关基因Becn1在肺癌等多种肿瘤中处于低表达状态,具有抑制肿瘤发生发展的作用。目前,已有研究发现Becn1可以通过自噬途径参与调控肺癌的发生发展过程,且细胞自噬还与凋亡关系密切。但是,Becn1在调控肺癌发生发展过程中涉及的凋亡过程和相关机制尚未完全阐明。本研究选用肺癌细胞系PC9和A549,建立Becn1高表达的肺癌细胞模型,采用蛋白质免疫共沉淀实验和GFP-BECLIN1、DsRed-Mit荧光共定位实验首次证实了Becn1可通过线粒体途径参与调控肺癌细胞的凋亡过程。     

Beclin 1-Independent Pathway of Damage-Induced Mitophagy and Autophagic Stress: Implications for Neurodegeneration and Cell Death

Growing evidence supports an active role for dysregulated macroautophagy (autophagic stress) in neuronal cell death and neurodegeneration. Alterations in mitochondrial function and dynamics are also strongly implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. Interestingly, whereas the core autophagy machinery is evolutionarily conserved and shared among constitutive and induced or selective autophagy, recent studies implicate distinct mechanisms regulating mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy) in response to general autophagic stimuli. Little is known about pathways regulating selective, damage-induced mitophagy. We found that the parkinsonian neurotoxin MPP+ induces autophagy and mitochondrial degradation that is inhibited by siRNA knockdown of autophagy proteins Atg5, Atg7 and Atg8, but occurs independently of Beclin 1, a component of the class III (PIK3C3/Vps34) phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) complex. Instead, MPP+-induced mitophagy is dependent upon MAPK signaling. Interestingly, all treatments that inhibited autophagy also conferred protection from MPP+-induced cell death. A prior human tissue study further supports a role for ERK/MAPK-regulated autophagy in Parkinson's and Lewy body diseases. As competition for limiting amounts of Beclin 1 may serve to prevent harmful overactivation of autophagy, understanding mechanisms that bypass or complement a requirement for PI3K-Beclin 1 activity could lead to strategies to modulate harmful autophagic stress in injured or degenerating neurons.     

Regulation and destabilization of HIF-1alpha by ARD1-mediated acetylation

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) plays a central role in cellular adaptation to changes in oxygen availability. Recently, prolyl hydroxylation was identified as a key regulatory event that targets the HIF-1alpha subunit for proteasomal degradation via the pVHL ubiquitination complex. In this report, we reveal an important function for ARD1 in mammalian cells as a protein acetyltransferase by direct binding to HIF-1alpha to regulate its stability. We present further evidence showing that ARD1-mediated acetylation enhances interaction of HIF-1alpha with pVHL and HIF-1alpha ubiquitination, suggesting that the acetylation of HIF-1alpha by ARD1 is critical to proteasomal degradation. Therefore, we have concluded that the role of ARD1 in the acetylation of HIF-1alpha provides a key regulatory mechanism underlying HIF-1alpha stability.     

Autophagic Processes in Yeast: Mechanism,Machinery and Regulation

Autophagy refers to a group of processes that involve degradation of cytoplasmic components including cytosol, macromolecular complexes, and organelles, within the vacuole or the lysosome of higher eukaryotes. The various types of autophagy have attracted increasing attention for at least two reasons. First, autophagy provides a compelling example of dynamic rearrangements of subcellular membranes involving issues of protein trafficking and organelle identity, and thus it is fascinating for researchers interested in questions pertinent to basic cell biology. Second, autophagy plays a central role in normal development and cell homeostasis, and, as a result, autophagic dysfunctions are associated with a range of illnesses including cancer, diabetes, myopathies, some types of neurodegeneration, and liver and heart diseases. That said, this review focuses on autophagy in yeast. Many aspects of autophagy are conserved from yeast to human; in particular, this applies to the gene products mediating these pathways as well as some of the signaling cascades regulating it, so that the information we relate is relevant to higher eukaryotes. Indeed, as with many cellular pathways, the initial molecular insights were made possible due to genetic studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other fungi.     

Selective Regulation of Apoptosis: the Cytotoxic Lymphocyte Serpin Proteinase Inhibitor 9 Protects against Granzyme B-Mediated Apoptosis without Perturbing the Fas Cell Death Pathway

Cytotoxic lymphocytes (CLs) induce caspase activation and apoptosis of target cells either through Fas activation or through release of granule cytotoxins, particularly granzyme B. CLs themselves resist granule-mediated apoptosis but are eventually cleared via Fas-mediated apoptosis. Here we show that the CL cytoplasmic serpin proteinase inhibitor 9 (PI-9) can protect transfected cells against apoptosis induced by either purified granzyme B and perforin or intact CLs. A PI-9 P₁ mutant (Glu to Asp) is a 100-fold-less-efficient granzyme B inhibitor that no longer protects against granzyme B-mediated apoptosis. PI-9 is highly specific for granzyme B because it does not inhibit eight of the nine caspases tested or protect transfected cells against Fas-mediated apoptosis. In contrast, the P₁(Asp) mutant is an effective caspase inhibitor that protects against Fas-mediated apoptosis. We propose that PI-9 shields CLs specifically against misdirected granzyme B to prevent autolysis or fratricide, but it does not interfere with homeostatic deletion via Fas-mediated apoptosis.