title: Activin A-induced apoptosis is suppressed by BCL-2.
abstract: Activin A, a member of TGF beta superfamily has various activities including induction of apoptosis in mammalian cells. However, it remains unknown how activin A induces cell death. To clarify this, we investigated the expression of BCL-2 and BAX, and the effect of BCL-2 overexpression on activin A-induced apoptosis in B cell hybridoma cell lines. The activin A-sensitive cell lines expressed BAX but not BCL-2 and that activin A did not increase BAX levels. Overexpression of human BCL-2 suppressed activin A-induced apoptosis in these cells. Thus, activin A has been shown to induce apoptosis by a BCL-2-inhibitable mechanism without activating BAX.
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006825:Hybridomas; D007265:Inhibins / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; C494827:Bax protein, mouse; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D028341:Activins; D007265:Inhibins; D004247:DNA