title: p38 MAP kinase mediates the cell death induced by PrP106-126 in the SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.
abstract: Prion diseases are neurodegenerative pathologies characterized by the accumulation in the brain of a protease-resistant form of the prion protein (PrP(c)), named PrP(Sc). A synthetic peptide homologous to residues 106-126 of PrP (PrP106-126) maintains many PrP(Sc) characteristics. We investigated the intracellular signaling responsible for the PrP106-126-dependent cell death of SH-SY5Y, a cell line derived from a human neuroblastoma. In this cell line, PrP106-126 induced apoptotic cell death and caused activation of caspase-3, although the blockade of this enzyme did not inhibit cell death. The p38 MAP kinase blockers, SB203580 and PD169316, prevented the apoptotic cell death evoked by PrP106-126 and Western blot analysis revealed that the exposure of the cells to the peptide induced p38 phosphorylation. Taken together, our data suggest that the p38 MAP kinase pathway can mediate the SH-SY5Y cell death induced by PrP106-126.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Biology and Genetics, National Institute for Cancer Research (IST) c/o, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thellung
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Corsaro
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arena
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Millo
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Damonte
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Benatti
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tagliavini
authors.forename: Tullio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Florio
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schettini
mesh_terms: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D009447:Neuroblastoma; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D011328:Prions / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D007093:Imidazoles; D009842:Oligopeptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011328:Prions; D011725:Pyridines; C110772:benzoylcarbonyl-aspartyl-glutamyl-valyl-aspartyl-fluoromethyl ketone; C096713:benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone; C082632:prion protein (106-126); D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; C408604:2-(4-nitrophenyl)-4-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-(4-pyridinyl)-1H-imidazole; C093642:SB 203580; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one