title: Lycorine induces apoptosis and down-regulation of Mcl-1 in human leukemia cells.
abstract: Lycorine is an alkaloid isolated from the bulb of the Amaryllidaceae Lycoris. Here, we report that treatment with lycorine resulted in survival inhibition and apoptosis induction in human leukemia cell lines. Lycorine induced apoptosis in human leukemia cells via intrinsic mitochondria pathway and caused a rapid-turnover of protein level of Mcl-1 which occurred before caspases activation. Furthermore, pronounced apoptosis accompanied by the down-regulation of Mcl-1 was also observed in blasts from patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Our findings suggest that lycorine may be a good candidate therapeutic agent against leukemia in worth of further evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Shantou University, Shantou 515031, China. xsliu@stu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Xiao-shan
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jikai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Xiao-yang
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: Ying-e
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jing-hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ying-mu
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Cai
mesh_terms: D047151:Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D010617:Phenanthridines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D047151:Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D010617:Phenanthridines; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D045304:Cytochromes c; D020169:Caspases; C015330:lycorine