title: Role of BAX in the apoptotic response to anticancer agents.
abstract: To assess the role of BAX in drug-induced apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells, we generated cells that lack functional BAX genes. Such cells were partially resistant to the apoptotic effects of the chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil, but apoptosis was not abolished. In contrast, the absence of BAX completely abolished the apoptotic response to the chemopreventive agent sulindac and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). NSAIDs inhibited the expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-XL, resulting in an altered ratio of BAX to Bcl-XL and subsequent mitochondria-mediated cell death. These results establish an unambiguous role for BAX in apoptotic processes in human epithelial cancers and may have implications for cancer chemoprevention strategies.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Oncology Center, and Program in Human Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kinzler
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vogelstein
mesh_terms: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016158:Genes, p53; D006801:Humans; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009154:Mutation; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D013467:Sulindac / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; C494826:BAX protein, human; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D013467:Sulindac; D005472:Fluorouracil; D007213:Indomethacin