title: Differential regulation of endogenous endonuclease activation in isolated murine fibroblast nuclei by ras and bcl-2.
abstract: Transfection of a murine fibroblast cell line with an activated form of the Harvey ras oncogene conferred sensitivity to apoptosis induced by various agents. This intrinsic sensitivity to apoptosis correlated with the expression of endogenous endonuclease activity in isolated nuclei that was undetectable in the untransfected parental cell line. Subsequent transfection with the human bcl-2 oncogene prevented the morphological and biochemical features of apoptosis in whole cells, although it failed to confer complete protection against cell death. Furthermore, transfection of the bcl-2 oncogene also inhibited the enhanced endonuclease activity in isolated nuclei. Our results indicate that some of the effects of Ha-ras and bcl-2 and potentially other oncogenes, are exerted on the biochemical machinery of apoptosis at the level of the nucleus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Fosdick
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: McDonnell
authors.forename: H N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Ananthaswamy
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: McConkey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000201:enzymology; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005347:Fibroblasts; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology; D011905:Genes, ras; D051379:Mice; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004720:Endonucleases; D005472:Fluorouracil