title: Molecular mechanisms of ionizing radiation-induced apoptosis.
abstract: Ionizing radiation activates not only signalling pathways in the nucleus as a result of DNA damage, but also signalling pathways initiated at the level of the plasma membrane. Proteins involved in DNA damage recognition include poly(ADP ribose) polymerase (PARP), DNA-dependent protein kinase, p53 and ataxia- telangiectasia mutated (ATM). Many of these proteins are inactivated by caspases during the execution phase of apoptosis. Signalling pathways outside the nucleus involve tyrosine kinases such as stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), protein kinase C, ceramide and reactive oxygen species. Recent evidence shows that tumour cells resistant to ionizing radiation-induced apoptosis have defective ceramide signalling. How these signalling pathways converge to activate the caspases is presently unknown, although in some cell types a role for calpain has been suggested.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Unit, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. dianneW@qimr.edu.au
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Watters
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D002154:Calpain / Q000502:physiology; D020169:Caspases / Q000502:physiology; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000528:radiation effects; D002518:Ceramides / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000502:physiology; D051747:DNA-Activated Protein Kinase; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D000071137:Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000528:radiation effects; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000502:physiology; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D002518:Ceramides; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C499320:PARP1 protein, human; D000071137:Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; C576324:ATM protein, human; D064007:Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins; D051747:DNA-Activated Protein Kinase; C497263:PRKDC protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase; D002154:Calpain; D020169:Caspases