title: Apoptosis antagonizing transcription factor protects renal tubule cells against oxidative damage and apoptosis induced by ischemia-reperfusion.
abstract: Apoptosis antagonizing transcription factor (AATF) is a leucine zipper domain-containing protein that has antiapoptotic properties. AATF is expressed in several organs and tissues, including the kidney. AATF may participate in inhibition of proapoptotic pathways and/or activation of antiapoptotic pathways. Ischemia/reperfusion-induced renal injury (IRI) is clinically important because it typically damages renal tubular epithelial cells and glomerular cells and is the most common cause of acute renal failure. It now is reported that AATF is expressed in human kidney proximal tubule (HK-2) cells and in mouse primary renal tubule epithelial cells. Levels of AATF expression were altered significantly in these cells in a well-established in vitro model of renal IRI. In transfected HK-2 cells, RNA interference-mediated silencing of AATF exacerbated whereas overexpression of the full-length AATF ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction, accumulation of superoxide and peroxynitrite, lipid peroxidation, caspase-3 activation, and apoptotic death that were induced by IRI. In primary renal tubule epithelial cells, overexpression of AATF mediated by recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors resulted in significant antiapoptotic activity, whereas knockdown of AATF by small interference RNA led to exacerbated cell death after IRI. These results identify AATF as a novel cytoprotective factor against oxidative and apoptotic damage in renal tubular cells. AATF may represent a potential candidate for therapeutic application in IRI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 940 Stanton L. Young Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007687:Kidney Tubules, Proximal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D015427:Reperfusion Injury; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: C402637:AATF protein, human; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D053148:Caspase 3