 |
|
Novel structure proteins could play a role in apoptosis
July 25, 2008Isoforms from Novel Structure Proteins (NSP), a new family of genes discovered by researchers in the Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine in Temple University's College of Science and Technology, could be involved in apoptosis or programmed cell death.
NSPs were discovered four years ago by Nianli Sang, then a doctoral student at the University and now an assistant professor at Thomas Jefferson University and the Cardeza Foundation, and Antonio Giordano, director of the Sbarro Institute (http://www.shro.org) at Temple.
The researchers noted at that time that this family of genes sits mostly in the nucleus of our cells and exhibits the characteristics of a tumor-promoting gene. One form of the gene, the isoform NSP5a3a, is highly expressed in some tumor cell lines and could be very useful as a tumor marker, Giordano said. A protein isoform is a version of a protein with only small differences to another isoform of the same protein.
In the latest study, "Possible Functional Roles of NSPs in Cancer," published in Cell Cycle (Vol. 7, Iss. 12), the Temple researchers examined the gene in Hela cells, or cervical cancer cell lines, to further characterize the possible role of these NSPs.
"So far, we've been able to confirm that two of the NSPs' four isoforms, called NSP 5a3a and NSP 5a3b, interact with a protein called B23, a multifunctional protein that is involved in cellular processes such as cell division, DNA repair and apoptosis," said Luca D'Agostino, a research fellow in the Sbarro Institute and the study's lead author.
In the study, the researchers silenced the expression first of NSP 5a3a. They also did the same for B23, and both in combination, always in-vitro.
"We saw that when we lowered the expression of NSP 5a3a, the cell's viability was not affected and they continued proliferating," D'Agostino said. "They must have a mechanism to compensate for its absence."
But when the expression of B23 was lowered, most of the cells moved towards apoptosis, which has already been established in previous studies, he said.
When the expression of both proteins was lowered simultaneously, D'Agostino noted, no apoptosis occurred, leading the researchers to conclude that at least in this model of in-vitro Hela cells, NSP 5a3a, working in association with B23, may have a role in apoptosis.
"Since these NSP isoforms have similar structural characteristics of known structural proteins such as spectrins, they may act as scaffolding proteins to help B23 interact with whoever it needs to interact with inside the cells," he said. A spectrin is a cytoskeletal protein that lines the intracellular side of the plasma membrane of many cell types in pentagonal or hexagonal arrangements, forming scaffolding that plays an important role in maintenance of plasma membrane integrity and cytoskeletal structure.
D'Agostino said the next step for researchers is to examine exactly how the NSP isoforms are interacting with the B23 protein. "We have an idea, but we still have to confirm it," he said.
D'Agostino added that these NSP isoforms may also have diagnostic value.
"Eventually, we have to screen different types of cancers, different grades and stages, to see if there is a difference in the expression of NSP5a3a and 5a3b, and if they have an application in the clinical field," he said. "With the 5a3a, if we see a pattern of expression when we do screenings of tissue biopsies, it could be useful as a diagnostic tool."
Temple University
In the latest study, "Possible Functional Roles of NSPs in Cancer," published in Cell Cycle (Vol. 7, Iss. 12), the Temple researchers examined the gene in Hela cells, or cervical cancer cell lines, to further characterize the possible role of these NSPs.
"So far, we've been able to confirm that two of the NSPs' four isoforms, called NSP 5a3a and NSP 5a3b, interact with a protein called B23, a multifunctional protein that is involved in cellular processes such as cell division, DNA repair and apoptosis," said Luca D'Agostino, a research fellow in the Sbarro Institute and the study's lead author.
In the study, the researchers silenced the expression first of NSP 5a3a. They also did the same for B23, and both in combination, always in-vitro.
"We saw that when we lowered the expression of NSP 5a3a, the cell's viability was not affected and they continued proliferating," D'Agostino said. "They must have a mechanism to compensate for its absence."
But when the expression of B23 was lowered, most of the cells moved towards apoptosis, which has already been established in previous studies, he said.
When the expression of both proteins was lowered simultaneously, D'Agostino noted, no apoptosis occurred, leading the researchers to conclude that at least in this model of in-vitro Hela cells, NSP 5a3a, working in association with B23, may have a role in apoptosis.
"Since these NSP isoforms have similar structural characteristics of known structural proteins such as spectrins, they may act as scaffolding proteins to help B23 interact with whoever it needs to interact with inside the cells," he said. A spectrin is a cytoskeletal protein that lines the intracellular side of the plasma membrane of many cell types in pentagonal or hexagonal arrangements, forming scaffolding that plays an important role in maintenance of plasma membrane integrity and cytoskeletal structure.
D'Agostino said the next step for researchers is to examine exactly how the NSP isoforms are interacting with the B23 protein. "We have an idea, but we still have to confirm it," he said.
D'Agostino added that these NSP isoforms may also have diagnostic value.
"Eventually, we have to screen different types of cancers, different grades and stages, to see if there is a difference in the expression of NSP5a3a and 5a3b, and if they have an application in the clinical field," he said. "With the 5a3a, if we see a pattern of expression when we do screenings of tissue biopsies, it could be useful as a diagnostic tool."
Temple University
Apoptosis Current Events and Apoptosis News RSSChemopreventive agents in black raspberries identified
A study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, identifies components of black raspberries with chemopreventive potential.
Grape-seed extract kills laboratory leukemia cells, proving value of natural compounds
An extract from grape seeds forces laboratory leukemia cells to commit cell suicide, according to researchers from the University of Kentucky. They found that within 24 hours, 76 percent of leukemia cells had died after being exposed to the extract.
A new light on the anti-tumor mechanisms of Scutellaria barbata
Medicinal plants have been used as traditional remedies for hundreds of years. Among them, S. barbata has been traditionally used in treatment of hepatitis, inflammation, osteomyelitis and gynecological diseases in China.
How to enhance non-thermal effects of ultrasound
In recent years HIFU has been widely used for the treatment of solid tumors, such as liver tumor, bone tumor, and breast cancer. The mechanism for therapeutic actions of HIFU includes thermal effects and non-thermal effects with the latter dominated by cavitational effects.
Researcher invents lethal 'lint brush' to capture and kill cancer cells in the bloodstream
In a new tactic in the fight against cancer, Cornell researcher Michael King has developed what he calls a lethal "lint brush" for the blood -- a tiny, implantable device that captures and kills cancer cells in the bloodstream before they spread through the body.
Potential breakthrough for T-Cell lymphoma patients with drug that mimics folic acid
Preliminary results of a pivotal Phase 2 clinical trial of pralatrexate (PDX), a drug that partially works by mimicking folic acid, showed a complete or partial response in 27 percent of patients with recurrent or resistant peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).
Cold Spring Harbor Protocols features tissue culture methods for immune cells and neurons
The complexity of vital organ systems makes them difficult to study in living organisms. Tissue culture methods for specific cell types allow researchers to break these systems down into component parts that can be readily manipulated and observed.
Mechanisms of cardiovascular disease and cancer give clues to new therapies
Cardiovascular conditions leading to heart attacks and strokes are treated quite separately from common cancers of the prostate, breast or lung, but now turn out to involve some of the same critical mechanisms at the molecular level.
Could vitamin D save us from radiation?
Radiological health expert Daniel Hayes, Ph.D., of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene suggests that a form of vitamin D could be one of our body's main protections against damage from low levels of radiation.
3-substituted indolones as novel therapeutic compounds for neurodegenerative conditions
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), disrupt the quality of life for patients, put a tremendous burden on family caregivers, and cost society billions of dollars annually.
More Apoptosis Current Events and Apoptosis News Articles
 | Apoptosis: The Life and Death of Cells (Developmental & Cell Biology Series) by Christopher Potten, James Wilson This book describes the biological implications and significance of apoptosis. Occurring naturally throughout the lifetime of most multicellular organisms, apoptosis, or programmed cell death, accounts for the continuous turnover of cells in the body. However, the genes regulating apoptosis are defective in many... |
 | Apoptosis, Senescence and Cancer (Cancer Drug Discovery and Development) Apoptosis, Senescence and Cancer provides insight into established practices and research into apoptosis and senescence by thoroughly examining novel and emerging techniques and research in the fields of cell death pathways, senescence growth arrest, drugs and resistance, DNA damage response, and other topics which still hold mysteries for researchers. The volume is divided into six easy to... |
 | Apoptosis Methods and Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology) A collection of cutting-edge techniques for detecting and quantifying apoptosis, understanding its biochemistry, and for identifying the genes and proteins that regulate and carry it out. Described in step-by-step detail, these readily reproducible methods range from flow cytometry and immunohistochemical procedures to kinase activity assays, yeast two-hybrid screening, and the cloning of novel... |
 | Apoptosis, Cell Signaling, and Human Diseases: Molecular Mechanisms, Volume 2 (for both volumes) Apoptosis, Cell Signaling, and Human Diseases: Molecular Mechanisms, Volumes 1 & 2, present a concise synthesis of recent developments in the understanding of both cell survival and apoptotic pathways. Particular attention is given to apoptosis in human diseases, such as different forms of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. These comprehensive volumes integrate the most... |
 | Cell Apoptosis Research Progress Apoptosis is the regulated form of cell death. It is a complex process defined by a set of characteristic morphological and biochemical features that involves the active participation of affected cells in a self-destruction cascade. This programmed cell death plays a critical role in physiological functions such as cell deletion during embryonic development, balancing cell number in continuously... |
 | Apoptosis and Cancer: Methods and Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology) Our understanding of the apoptotic pathway and its regulation has improved significantly in the last 10 years. However, as our knowledge of the intricate intracellular events increase, we realize the complexity of the regulatory mechanisms that control it. As such, Apoptosis and Cancer describes the performance of contemporary techniques for studying the biology of apoptosis and its role in... |
 | Apoptosis, Genomic Integrity and Cancer by Julien L. Van Lancker Harmonious survival of the entire organism depends on the rigorous preservation of the controls that regulate the balance between the cell’s replication and apoptosis. This balance depends largely, although not exclusively, on the integrity of the genome. Cancer is a flagrant illustration of the danger of imbalance between cell proliferation and cell death. As cells replicate unfettered by... |
 | Apoptosis In Normal Development And Cancer In apoptosis in the mammalian system, cells have a finite life - they develop, are used and then die. Cancer cells escape this programmed routine but, from an understanding of apoptosis, they can be programmed to die. This book addresses... |
 | Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis by D. Hughes, David Hughes, H. Mehmet Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis is a detailed practical guide to cell proliferation and cell death detection methods, taking a novel approach that combines both areas and allows important comparisons to be made. Topics covered encompass all aspects of tissue handling from collection, storage, fixation and processing, through to locating and quantifying cells in different stages of the cell... |
 | Apoptosis: Techniques and Protocols (Neuromethods) McGill Univ., Montreal, Canada. Offers cutting-edge protocols to investigate apoptosis in neurons, methods to detect key proteins involved in neuronal apoptosis, techniques to study synaptosis and detect proapoptotic proteins in situ, and notes on the pitfalls and advantages of each... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |