title: Human cells display reduced apoptotic function relative to chimpanzee cells.
abstract: Previously published gene expression analyses suggested that apoptotic function may be reduced in humans relative to chimpanzees and led to the hypothesis that this difference may contribute to the relatively larger size of the human brain and the increased propensity of humans to develop cancer. In this study, we sought to further test the hypothesis that humans maintain a reduced apoptotic function relative to chimpanzees by conducting a series of apoptotic function assays on human, chimpanzee and macaque primary fibroblastic cells. Human cells consistently displayed significantly reduced apoptotic function relative to the chimpanzee and macaque cells. These results are consistent with earlier findings indicating that apoptotic function is reduced in humans relative to chimpanzees.
authors.affiliation: School of Biology and Parker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mezencev
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: McDonald
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053179:Caspase 7 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008251:Macaca; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000187:drug effects; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D009929:Organ Size; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D061251:Primary Cell Culture; D013045:Species Specificity; D019311:Staurosporine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D016685:Mitomycin; D053148:Caspase 3; D053179:Caspase 7; D019311:Staurosporine