• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제34권11호
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• pp.3295-3300
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• 2013

Acrolein (ACR) is a well-known carbonyl toxin produced by lipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which is involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). In Alzheimer's brain, ACR was found to be elevated in hippocampus and temporal cortex where oxidative stress is high. In this study, we evaluated oxidative modification of cytochrome c occurring after incubation with ACR. When cytochrome c was incubated with ACR, protein aggregation increased in a dose-dependent manner. The formation of carbonyl compounds and the release of iron were obtained in ACR-treated cytochrome c. Reactive oxygen species scavengers and iron specific chelator inhibited the ACR-mediated cytochrome c modification and carbonyl compound formation. Our data demonstrate that oxidative damage of cytochrome c by ACR might induce disruption of cyotochrome c structure and iron mishandling as a contributing factor to the pathology of AD.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.220-227
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• 2006

Oxidative alteration of mitochondrial cytochrome c has been linked to disease and is one of the causes of proapoptotic events. We have investigated the modification of cytochrome c by $H_2O_2$. When cytochrome c was incubated with $H_2O_2$, oligomerization of the protein increased and the formation of carbonyl derivatives and dityrosine was stimulated. Radical scavengers prevented these effects suggesting that free radicals are implicated in the $H_2O_2$-mediated oligomerization. Oligomerization was significantly inhibited by the iron chelator, deferoxamine. During incubation of deoxyribose with cytochrome c and $H_2O_2$, damage to the deoxyribose occurred in parallel with the release of iron from cytochrome c. When cytochrome c that had been exposed to $H_2O_2$ was analyzed by amino acid analysis, the tyrosine, histidine and methionine residues proved to be particularly sensitive. These results suggest that $H_2O_2$-mediated cytochrome c oligomerization is due to oxidative damage resulting from free radicals generated by a combination of the peroxidase activity of cytochrome c and the Fenton reaction of free iron released from the oxidatively-damaged protein.

• 환경생물
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• 제21권3호
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• pp.303-307
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• 2003

Tributyltin (TBT) used world-wide in antifouling paints toy ships is a wide-spread environmental pollutant. At low doses, antiproliferative modes of action have been shown to be involved, whereas at higher doses apoptosis seems to be the mechanism of toxicity in reproductive organs by TBT. In this study, we investigated that the mechanisms underlying apoptosis induced by TBT in R2C cell. Effects of TBT on intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ level and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were investigated in R2C cells by fluorescence detector. TBT significantly induced intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ level in a time-dependent manner. The rise in intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ level was followed by a time-dependent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the cytosol level. Simultaneously, TBT induced the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondrial membrane into the cytosol. Furthermore, ROS production and the release of cytochrome c were reduced by BAPTA, an intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ chelator, indicating the important role of $Ca^{2+}$ in R2C during these early intracellular events. In addition, Z-DEVD FMB, a caspase -3 inhibitor, decreased apoptosis by TBT. Taken together, the present results indicated that the apoptotic pathway by TBT might start with an increase in intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ level, continues with release of ROS and cytochrome c from mitochondria, activation of caspases, and finally results in DNA fragmentation.

• BMB Reports
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.452-456
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• 2006

To elaborate the peroxidase activity of cytochrome c in the generation of free radicals from $H_2O_2$, the mechanism of DNA cleavage mediated by the cytochrome c/$H_2O_2$ system was investigated. When plasmid DNA was incubated with cytochrome c and $H_2O_2$, the cleavage of DNA was proportional to the cytochrome c and $H_2O_2$ concentrations. Radical scavengers, such as azide, mannitol, and ethanol, significantly inhibited the cytochrome c/$H_2O_2$ system-mediated DNA cleavage. These results indicated that free radicals might participate in the DNA cleavage by the cytochrome c and $H_2O_2$ system. Incubation of cytochrome c with $H_2O_2$ resulted in a time-dependent release of iron ions from the cytochrome c molecule. During the incubation of deoxyribose with cytochrome c and $H_2O_2$, the damage to deoxyribose increased in a time-dependent manner, suggesting that the released iron ions may participate in a Fenton-like reaction to produce $\cdot$OH radicals that may cause the DNA cleavage. Evidence that the iron-specific chelator, desferoxamine (DFX), prevented the DNA cleavage induced by the cytochrome c/$H_2O_2$ system supports this mechanism. Thus we suggest that DNA cleavage is mediated via the generation of $\cdot$OH by a combination of the peroxidase reaction of cytochrome c and the Fenton-like reaction of free iron ions released from oxidatively damaged cytochrome c in the cytochrome c/$H_2O_2$ system.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제22권6호
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• pp.503-509
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• 2014

Paraquat has been suggested to induce apoptosis by generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, little is known about the mechanism of paraquat-induced apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate that extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) is required for paraquat-induced apoptosis in NIH3T3 cells. Paraquat treatment resulted in activation of ERK, and U0126, inhibitors of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway, prevented apoptosis. Moreover, paraquat-induced apoptosis was associated with cytochrome C release, which could be prevented by treatment with the MEK inhibitors. Taken together, our findings suggest that ERK activation plays an active role in mediating paraquat-induced apoptosis of NIH3T3 cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권21호
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• pp.9153-9157
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• 2014

Background: Capparis spinosa L., a Uygur medicine, had been shown to have anti-tumor activity in our early experiments with an N-butanol extract (CSBE) as its active fraction. However, the mechanisms responsible for its effects are not clearly understood. Here, we report that treatment of SGC-7901 cells with CSBE resulted in dose-dependent reduction of cell viability and induction of apoptosis. Materials and Methods: To observe the inhibitory and killing effects of CSBE on SGC-7901, the SRB method was adopted, apoptosis being observed by electron microscopy. To clarify the mechanisms of apoptosis, Western blot and enzyme-labeled methods were used to examine the release of cytochrome c (Cyt c) and the activation of the caspase cascade. Results: By electron microscopy, apoptotic morphologic changes were detectable after CSBE administration. In this study, it was also demonstrated that CSBE induced apoptosis in SGC-7901 cells by inhibiting mPTP open, mitochondrial cytochrome c release, caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation. Conclusions: The findings indicated that CSBE induces aap optosis through mitochondrial pathway.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.802-810
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• 2005

The tetrahydroisoquinolines included potent cytotoxic agents that showed antitumor activity,antimicrobial activity, and other biological properties. We studied the effect of CDST, 1-Chloromethyl-6,7-dimethoxy-3,4-dihydro-1H-isoquinoline-2-sulfonic acid amide, a newly synthesized anti-cancer agent. The cytotoxic activity of CDST in HL-60 cells was increased in a dose-dependent manner. CDST, tetrahydroisoquinolines derivative, was cytotoxic to HL-60 cells, with IC50 of $80{\mu}g/ml$. Treatment of CDST to HL-60 cells showed the fragmentation of DNA in a dose- and time dependent manner, suggesting that thesecells underwent apoptosis. Treatment of HL-60 cells with CDST was induced in a dose- and time-dependent activation of caspase-3, caspase-8 and proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. In caspase activity assay, caspase-3 and -8 was activated after 12 h and 6 h posttreatment, respectively. CDST also caused the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytosol. CDST-induced cytochrome c release was mediated by caspase-8-dependent cleavage of Bid and Bax translocation. These results suggest that caspase-8 induced Bid cleavage and Bax translocation, caused mitochondrial cytochrome c release, and induce caspase-3 activationduring CDST-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells.

• BMB Reports
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• 제39권5호
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• pp.556-559
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• 2006

The Bcl-2 family of proteins regulates mitochondrial functions during cell death by modulating the efflux of death-promoting proteins such as cytochrome c and endonuclease G. Upon the binding of death ligands to their receptors, caspase-8 cleaves Bid, a BH3-only protein, into tBid that causes the mitochondrial damages resulting in the release of cytochrome c and endonuclease G. Also, another BH3-only protein, hNoxa, has been shown to induce the efflux of cytochrome c from the mitochondria. Whether the efflux proteins from the mitochondria in response to tBid or hNoxa are the same or different, however, has not been addressed. We have demonstrated that endonuclease G activities are not detectable among the proteins released from isolated mitochondria by hNoxa but are detectable in that by tBid. These results suggest that the efflux of proteins from the mitochondria are differentially modulated by tBid and hNoxa.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.88-92
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• 2010

We verified that the apoptosis activities were examined by DNA fragmentation, flow cytometric analysis with annexin V staining, activation of caspase-3, and cytochrome c release. In the result, $\alpha$- and $\beta$-eudesmol induced DNA fragmentation in HL-60 cells at a concentration of $80\;{\mu}M$, respectively. Additionally, pro-apoptotic cells sorted by flow cytometry analysis were detected in HL-60 cells to 31.77 and 29.67% with $\acute{a}$- and $\beta$-eudesmol of $80\;{\mu}M$. Thus, both $\alpha$- and $\beta$-eudesmol exerted caspase-3 activation and cytochrome c release at $80\;{\mu}M$ in HL-60 cells. These results are firstly reported that the sesquiterpenes, $\alpha$- and $\beta$-eudesmol are apoptosis inducers through mitochondria-dependent caspase cascade in HL-60 cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제12권6호
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• pp.950-956
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• 2002

The antitumor activity of the insect pathogenic fungus Paecilomyces japonica has been attributed to apoptotic cell death. However, the mechanism underlying the induced apoptosis has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we for the first time show that mitochondria-dependent caspase-3 activation were associated with the apoptotic activity of P. japonica in human acute leukemia Jurkat T cells. When Jurkat T cells were treated with the ethyl acetate extract of P japonica at concentrations ranging from $2-6{\mu}g/ml$, apoptotic cell death. accompanied by several biochemical events such as caspase-9 activation, caspase-3 activation, degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and apoptotic DNA fragmentation, was induced in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria was detected. Under these conditions, the expression of Fas and Fas-ligand (FasL) remained unchanged. Ethyl acetate extract-induced mitochondrial cytochrome c release, caspase-3 activation, PARP cleavage, and apoptotic DNA fragmentation were suppressed by the ectopic expression of Bcl-2, which is known to block mitochondrial cytochrorme c release. Accordingly, these results demonstrate that P. japonica-induced apoptotic cell death is mediated by a cytochrome c-dependent caspase-3 activation pathway that can be interrupted by Bcl-2.