Browsing by Subject "cell death"
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Item Cholesterol Sulfonation Enzyme, SULT2B1b, Modulates AR and Cell Growth Properties in Prostate Cancer(AACR Publications, 2016-09) Vickman, Renee E.; Crist, Scott A.; Kerian, Kevin; Eberlin, Livia; Cooks, R. Graham; Burcham, Grant N.; Buhman, Kimberly K.; Hu, Chang-Deng; Mesecar, Andrew D.; Cheng, Liang; Ratliff, Timothy L.; Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of MedicineCholesterol accumulates in prostate lesions and has been linked to prostate cancer (PCa) incidence and progression. However, how accumulated cholesterol contributes to PCa development and progression is not completely understood. Cholesterol sulfate (CS), the primary sulfonation product of cholesterol sulfotransferase (SULT2B1b), accumulates in human prostate adenocarcinoma and precancerous prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) lesions compared to normal regions of the same tissue sample. Given the enhanced accumulation of CS in these lesions, it was hypothesized that SULT2B1b-mediated production of CS provides a growth advantage to these cells. To address this, PCa cells with RNAi-mediated knockdown (KD) of SULT2B1b were used to assess the impact on cell growth and survival. SULT2B1b is expressed and functional in a variety of prostate cells and the data demonstrate that SULT2B1b KD, in LNCaP and other androgen-responsive (VCaP and C4-2) cells, results in decreased cell growth/viability and induces cell death. SULT2B1b KD also decreases androgen receptor (AR) activity and expression at mRNA and protein levels. While AR overexpression has no impact on SULT2B1b KD-mediated cell death, addition of exogenous androgen is able to partially rescue the growth inhibition induced by SULT2B1b KD in LNCaP cells. These results suggest that SULT2B1b positively regulates the AR either through alterations in ligand availability or by interaction with critical co-regulators that influence AR activity.Item Determinants of 14-3-3σ dimerization and function in drug and radiation resistance(2013-11) Li, Zhaomin; Peng, Hui; Qin, Li; Qi, Jing; Zuo, Xiaobing; Liu, Jing-Yuan; Zhang, Jian-Ting; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, IU School of MedicineMany proteins exist and function as homodimers. Understanding the detailed mechanism driving the homodimerization is important and will impact future studies targeting the “undruggable” oncogenic protein dimers. In this study, we used 14-3-3σ as a model homodimeric protein and performed a systematic investigation of the potential roles of amino acid residues in the interface for homodimerization. Unlike other members of the conserved 14-3-3 protein family, 14-3-3σ prefers to form a homodimer with two subareas in the dimeric interface that has 180° symmetry. We found that both subareas of the dimeric interface are required to maintain full dimerization activity. Although the interfacial hydrophobic core residues Leu12 and Tyr84 play important roles in 14-3-3σ dimerization, the non-core residue Phe25 appears to be more important in controlling 14-3-3σ dimerization activity. Interestingly, a similar non-core residue (Val81) is less important than Phe25 in contributing to 14-3-3σ dimerization. Furthermore, dissociating dimeric 14-3-3σ into monomers by mutating the Leu12, Phe25, or Tyr84 dimerization residue individually diminished the function of 14-3-3σ in resisting drug-induced apoptosis and in arresting cells at G2/M phase in response to DNA-damaging treatment. Thus, dimerization appears to be required for the function of 14-3-3σ.Item Meckelin 3 is Necessary for Photoreceptor Outer Segment Development(2012-07-03) Hudson, Scott R.; Belecky-Adams, Teri; Gattone II, Vince; Blazer-Yost, Bonnie; Atkinson, SimonCiliopathies with multiorgan pathology include renal cysts and eye pathology. Previous studies showed meckelin (MKS3 protein product) are crucial to cilia function and its absence in Wpk rats (with mutated rMks3 gene) causes Leber's congenital amaurosis. Retinal photoreceptors have connecting cilium that joins the inner to the outer segment and plays a role in the transport of molecules necessary for morphological and molecular development and maintenance of the outer segment process. The present study evaluated meckelin expression during normal postnatal retinal development and the consequences of mutant meckelin on photoreceptor development and survival in Wistar-Wpk/Wpk rat. Meckelin was co-expressed in photoreceptors, amacrine, Muller glia and ganglion cells in postnatal day 10 (P10) and P21 wild type retinae. Meckelin was detected in both inner and outer segments of photoreceptors. By P10, both wild type and homozygous Wpk mutant retina had all retinal cell types. In contrast, by P21, cells expressing photoreceptor-specific markers in the Wpk mutant were fewer in number with abnormal expression patterns. Cell death assays confirmed a significant amount of cells undergoing apoptosis in the outer nuclear layer of the mutant rat retina. By electron microscopy, mutant photoreceptors did not develop an outer segment process beyond a connecting cilium and rudimentary outer segment. We conclude that MKS3 is not important for formation of connecting cilium and rudimentary outer segments, but is critical for the elongation and/or maintenance of mature outer segment processes.Item Novel Roles of p21 in Apoptosis During Beta-Cell Stress in Diabetes(2014) Hernández-Carretero, Angelina M.; Fueger, Patrick T.; Sturek, Michael Stephen; Wek, Ronald C.; Evans-Molina, Carmella; Elmendorf, Jeffrey S.Type 2 diabetes manifests from peripheral insulin resistance and a loss of functional beta cell mass due to decreased beta cell function, survival, and/or proliferation. Beta cell stressors impair each of these factors by activating stress response mechanisms, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The glucolipotoxic environment of the diabetic milieu also activates a stress response in beta cells, resulting in death and decreased survival. Whereas the cell cycle machinery (comprised of cyclins, kinases, and inhibitors) regulates proliferation, its involvement during beta cell stress in the development of diabetes is not well understood. Interestingly, in a screen of multiple cell cycle inhibitors, p21 was dramatically upregulated in INS-1-derived 832/13 cells and rodent islets by two independent pharmacologic inducers of beta cell stress - dexamethasone and thapsigargin. In addition, glucolipotoxic stress mimicking the diabetic milieu also induced p21. To further investigate p21’s role in the beta cell, p21 was adenovirally overexpressed in 832/13 cells and rat islets. As expected given p21’s role as a cell cycle inhibitor, p21 overexpression decreased [3H]-thymidine incorporation and blocked the G1/S and G2/M transitions as quantified by flow cytometry. Interestingly, p21 overexpression activated apoptosis, demonstrated by increased annexin- and propidium iodide-double-positive cells and cleaved caspase-3 protein. p21-mediated caspase-3 cleavage was inhibited by either overexpression of the anti-apoptotic mitochondrial protein Bcl-2 or siRNA-mediated suppression of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Bak. Therefore, the intrinsic apoptotic pathway is central for p21-mediated cell death. Like glucolipotoxicity, p21 overexpression inhibited the insulin cell survival signaling pathway while also impairing glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, an index of beta cell function. Under both conditions, phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1, Akt, and Forkhead box protein-O1 was reduced. p21 overexpression increased Bim and c-Jun N-terminal Kinase, however, siRNA-mediated reduction or inhibition of either protein, respectively, did not alter p21-mediated cell death. Importantly, islets of p21-knockout mice treated with the ER stress inducer thapsigargin displayed a blunted apoptotic response. In summary, our findings indicate that p21 decreases proliferation, activates apoptosis, and impairs beta cell function, thus being a potential target to inhibit for the protection of functional beta cell mass.