title: Apoptosis suppression by bcl-2 is correlated with the regulation of nuclear and cytosolic Ca2+.
abstract: Bcl-2 expression is associated with the progression of prostate cancer from androgen-dependence to androgen-independence. Bcl-2 is an integral membrane protein which localizes to mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and the nuclear envelope. Using spectrofluorometry and laser confocal microscopy, the ability of bcl-2 to modulate intracellular Ca2+ was examined in the Dunning G prostate carcinoma cell line following apoptosis induction by adriamycin. Adriamycin and thapsigargin, an endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-pump inhibitor, were effective inducers of apoptosis in control, but not bcl-2 transfected, cells. Treatment with adriamycin was accompanied by a sustained rise in cytoplasmic Ca2+ in control and bcl-2 transfected cells. An increase in intranuclear Ca2+ was observed in control cells only. Apoptosis induction by thapsigargin was associated with an increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+ in control cells that was not detected in the resistant bcl-2 transfectants. Ca2+ was excluded from nuclei isolated from bcl-2 expressing cells, but was sequestered in control nuclei, following the addition of ATP. These findings suggest that bcl-2 may regulate levels of intranuclear Ca2+ independently of cytosolic Ca2+ levels. The ability of bcl-2 to modulate, directly or indirectly, sustained increases in both cytosolic and intranuclear Ca2+ may provide a common basis for bcl-2 function in different subcellular compartments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, 77030, USA.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bick
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brisbay
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Buja
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Snuggs
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: McConkey
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: von Eschenbach
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Keating
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: McDonnell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism*; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051381:Rats; D013729:Terpenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D019284:Thapsigargin; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D013729:Terpenes; D019284:Thapsigargin; D004317:Doxorubicin; D002118:Calcium