title: Expression and function of prostate-apoptosis-response-gene-4 in lymphatic cells.
abstract: Inhibition of apoptosis contributes to the pathogenesis of lymphatic malignancies. In particular, the elevated expression of Bcl-2 is considered to be a marker of poor prognosis, since increased levels of Bcl-2 confer longevity as well as chemoresistance. After demonstrating an inverse expressional pattern of Bcl-2 and prostate-apoptosis-response-4 (Par-4) in ex vivo cells of patients suffering from acute lymphatic leukemia (ALL) as well as a deregulated expression of Par-4 in acute and chronic lymphatic neoplasias, the molecular mechanisms underlying these results were investigated. Thus, it was demonstrated that in neoplastic lymphatic cells Par-4 exerts a proapoptotic role augmenting chemosensitivity by down-regulating Bcl-2, promoting disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential and enforcing caspase-activation. Moreover, Par-4 enables cells to circumvent inhibition of the central executioner caspase-3 by alternative activation of caspases following a decrease in expression levels of inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAP).
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine III, University-Hospital, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Theodor-Stern-Kai-7, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boehrer
authors.forename: Kai U
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruthardt
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hoelzer
authors.forename: Paris S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Mitrou
authors.forename: Eckhart
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weidmann
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C101296:prostate apoptosis response-4 protein