title: Apoptosis induced by filarial parasitic sheath protein in HEp 2 cell lines blocked by ectopic expression of bcl 2.
abstract: Chronic filarial patients exhibit an occult manifestation, Tropical Pulmonary Eosinophilia, (TPE), caused by an exaggerated immune response to shed and circulating filarial antigens, leading to extensive lung damage. We have attempted to examine the disease in vitro using the human epithelial cell line, HEp2. Filarial sheath proteins induce apoptosis in HEp2 cells characterized by chromatin condensation, internucleosomal DNA cleavage, positive staining for TUNEL assay and shows a sub-G1 peak on FACS analysis. In order to understand subcellular events and to analyse the protective role of bcl2, we engineered HEp2 to overexpress Bcl2 protein. HEp2 bcl2 cells do not undergo apoptosis on exposure to filarial sheath protein, indicating that filarial protein-induced apoptosis in epithelial cells proceeds via a pathway, inhibitable by overexpression of bcl 2.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Biotechnology, Anna University, Madras, India.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krishnamoorthy
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Renner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balakrishnan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line / Q000187:drug effects; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D005368:Filariasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D019254:Genes, bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D011657:Pulmonary Eosinophilia / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017182:Setaria Nematode / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D014162:Transfection / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015801:Helminth Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2