Alteration of caspase-3 (CPP32/Yama/apopain) in wild-type MCF-7, breast cancer cells.
Caspase-3 (CPP32/Yama/apopain), one of the interleukin 1 -converting enzyme (ICE)-like proteases (caspases), is anticipated to mediate apoptotic cell death. We observed the expression of caspase-3 in various cancer cell lines and lack of normal expression of mRNA and protein in MCF-7, human breast carcinoma cell line. Sequence analysis of cDNA showed 125 nucleotides deletion in spite of no gross gene alteration of caspase-3 in MCF-7. The possible cause is altered splicing of the fragment followed by frame shift at translation level. MCF-7 cells are widely used in the research of apoptosis because of the high sensitivity to tumor necrosis factor induced cell death. However, our results suggest the existence of other apoptotic pathways independent on caspase-3 at least in MCF-7 cells.
Kurokawa
H
H
Pharmacology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan.
Nishio
K
K
Fukumoto
H
H
Tomonari
A
A
Suzuki
T
T
Saijo
N
N
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004967:Estrogens; D005260:Female; D016368:Frameshift Mutation; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D012326:RNA Splicing; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000201:enzymology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
D004967:Estrogens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases