title: [AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha is involved in the autophagy and apoptosis caused by troglitazone].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To reveal the mechanism of AMPK signaling in the autophagy and apoptosis caused by troglitazone (TZ).
  
  
  METHODS
  To investigate the effect of TZ on alteration of autophagy and apoptosis in HeLa cells, fluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy, western-blotting, siRNA interference, flow cytometry and MTS assay were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TZ attenuated AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha (AMPKalpha) phosphorylation, and stimulates autophagic process in HeLa cells. TZ induced the accumulation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II (LC3-II), and degradation of sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1/p62), two markers of autophagy, occurring prior to the caspase activation. Compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, increased basal and inhibits TZ-stimulated LC3-II content and TZ-depended PARP cleavage. Knockdown of the gene encoding autophagic proteins and AMPK conferred the cells resistance to apoptosis by TZ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, these data demonstrate that AMPK is involved in TZ promote autophagy, which precedes and contributes to caspase-dependent apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. michelle.jinxin@163.com
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Dongdong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Xiuling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xuejun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002839:Chromans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D045162:Thiazolidinediones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077288:Troglitazone
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002839:Chromans; C477012:MAP1LC3A protein, human; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; D053148:Caspase 3; D000077288:Troglitazone