title: Enhanced expression of bcl-2 inhibits apoptosis in cultured human keratinocytes.
abstract: The molecular mechanisms regulating epidermal differentiation and apoptosis have not been elucidated. Bcl-2, one of the candidate genes for suppressing apoptosis, was originally cloned from the breakpoint of at (14;18) translocation present in many human B cell lymphomas. In this study, the influence of bcl-2 on apoptosis was observed in transfected keratinocytes. After transfection of pEF-BOS vector with/without bcl-2, the expression of coded protein and the viability under starved conditions were examined. The bcl-2-transfected keratinocytes had cytoplasmic positive staining with anti-bcl-2 monoclonal antibodies, however the vector only transfected cells were devoid of the reaction products. The viability of transfected keratinocytes under starved conditions, with a lack of epidermal growth factor and bovine pituitary extract, was maintained in bcl-2 transfected cells; while the vector only transfected cells showed apoptotic cell death. The present result indicates that bcl-2 suppresses apoptotic cell death under starved conditions due to a lack of epidermal growth factor and bovine pituitary extract.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeyama
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2