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Differential Apaf-1 levels allow cytochrome c to induce apoptosis in brain tumors but not in normal neural tissues.

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Date
2007-12-26
Authors
Johnson, Carrie E
Huang, Yolanda Y
Parrish, Amanda B
Smith, Michelle I
Vaughn, Allyson E
Zhang, Qian
Wright, Kevin M
Van Dyke, Terry
Wechsler-Reya, Robert J
Kornbluth, Sally
Deshmukh, Mohanish
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Abstract
Brain tumors are typically resistant to conventional chemotherapeutics, most of which initiate apoptosis upstream of mitochondrial cytochrome c release. In this study, we demonstrate that directly activating apoptosis downstream of the mitochondria, with cytosolic cytochrome c, kills brain tumor cells but not normal brain tissue. Specifically, cytosolic cytochrome c is sufficient to induce apoptosis in glioblastoma and medulloblastoma cell lines. In contrast, primary neurons from the cerebellum and cortex are remarkably resistant to cytosolic cytochrome c. Importantly, tumor tissue from mouse models of both high-grade astrocytoma and medulloblastoma display hypersensitivity to cytochrome c when compared with surrounding brain tissue. This differential sensitivity to cytochrome c is attributed to high Apaf-1 levels in the tumor tissue compared with low Apaf-1 levels in the adjacent brain tissue. These differences in Apaf-1 abundance correlate with differences in the levels of E2F1, a previously identified activator of Apaf-1 transcription. ChIP assays reveal that E2F1 binds the Apaf-1 promoter specifically in tumor tissue, suggesting that E2F1 contributes to the expression of Apaf-1 in brain tumors. Together, these results demonstrate an unexpected sensitivity of brain tumors to postmitochondrial induction of apoptosis. Moreover, they raise the possibility that this phenomenon could be exploited therapeutically to selectively kill brain cancer cells while sparing the surrounding brain parenchyma.
Type
Journal article
Subject
Apoptosis
Apoptotic Protease-Activating Factor 1
Astrocytoma
Brain
Brain Neoplasms
Caspases
Cytochromes c
E2F1 Transcription Factor
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
Humans
Medulloblastoma
Neurons
Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
Promoter Regions, Genetic
Transcription, Genetic
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/8392
Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1073/pnas.0709101105
Publication Info
Johnson, Carrie E; Huang, Yolanda Y; Parrish, Amanda B; Smith, Michelle I; Vaughn, Allyson E; Zhang, Qian; ... Deshmukh, Mohanish (2007). Differential Apaf-1 levels allow cytochrome c to induce apoptosis in brain tumors but not in normal neural tissues. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 104(52). pp. 20820-20825. 10.1073/pnas.0709101105. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/8392.
This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Scholars@Duke

Kornbluth

Sally A. Kornbluth

Jo Rae Wright University Distinguished Professor Emerita
Our lab studies the regulation of complex cellular processes, including cell cycle progression and programmed cell death (apoptosis). These tightly orchestrated processes are critical for appropriate cell proliferation and cell death, and when they go awry can result in cancer and degenerative disorders. Within these larger fields, we have focused on understanding the cellular mechanisms that prevent the onset of mitosis prior to the completion of DNA replication, the process
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