title: Protection from Fas-mediated apoptosis by a soluble form of the Fas molecule.
abstract: Fas is an apoptosis-signaling receptor molecule on the surface of a number of cell types. Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis revealed a human Fas messenger RNA variant capable of encoding a soluble Fas molecule lacking the transmembrane domain because of the deletion of an exon encoding this region. The expression of soluble Fas was confirmed by flow cytometry and immunocytochemical analysis. Supernatants from cells transfected with the variant messenger RNA blocked apoptosis induced by the antibody to Fas. Levels of soluble Fas were elevated in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, and mice injected with soluble Fas displayed autoimmune features.
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Brauer
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kiefer
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Mountz
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012995:Solubility; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D014162:Transfection; D019014:fas Receptor
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019014:fas Receptor