Induction of apoptosis as well as necrosis by hypoxia and predominant prevention of apoptosis by Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL.
The molecular mechanism of cell death due to hypoxia has not been elucidated. Our recent observations that overexpression of the anti-apoptotic proto-oncogene bcl-2 and a bcl-2-related gene, bcl-x, prevents hypoxic cell death suggest that hypoxia induces apoptosis. Using electron microscopy and confocal and nonconfocal fluorescence microscopy, we show here that hypoxia does, in fact, induce both necrosis and apoptosis, and that the proportion of these two modes is highly dependent on the cell type. Overexpression of Bcl-2 or Bcl-Xl blocks hypoxia-induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner.
Shimizu
S
S
First Department of Surgery, Osaka University Medical School, Suita, Japan.
Eguchi
Y
Y
Kamiike
W
W
Itoh
Y
Y
Hasegawa
J
J
Yamabe
K
K
Otsuki
Y
Y
Matsuda
H
H
Tsujimoto
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009336:Necrosis; D016716:PC12 Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051381:Rats; D051020:bcl-X Protein
C494813:Bcl2l1 protein, rat; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051020:bcl-X Protein