title: Cadmium induces liver cell apoptosis through caspase-3A activation in purse red common carp (Cyprinus carpio).
abstract: Caspase-3, the essential effector caspase, plays a pivotal role during caspase-dependent apoptosis. In this study, we isolated and characterized caspase-3A gene from common carp. The common carp caspase-3A comprising 273 amino acids showed 71.8% sequence similarity and 59.3% sequence identity to human caspase-3. It exhibited an evolutionarily conserved structure of mammalian caspase-3 genes, including a pro-domain, a large subunit, a small subunit and other motifs such as the pentapeptide active-site motif (QACRG) and the putative cleavage sites at the aspartic acids. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that common carp caspase-3A formed a clade with cyprinid fish caspase-3. To assess whether caspase-3A is involved in cadmium (Cd)-induced cell apoptosis in common carp, a Cd exposure experiment was performed. TUNEL analysis showed that Cd triggered liver cell apoptosis; caspase-3A activity was markedly increased; its proenzyme level was significantly decreased, and the levels of its cleaved forms were markedly increased. However, real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the mRNA transcript level of caspase-3A was not significantly elevated. Immunoreactivities were observed in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes by immunohistochemical detection. The findings indicates that Cd can trigger liver cell apoptosis through the activation of caspase-3A. Caspase-3A may play an essential role in Cd-induced apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China ; Institute of Immunotherapy, Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China.
authors.forename: Dian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China ; Institute of Immunotherapy, Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhen'e
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China.
authors.forename: Panpan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China.
authors.forename: Shen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China.
authors.forename: Penghui
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China.
authors.forename: Yannan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China ; Institute of Immunotherapy, Nanchang University, Nanchang, PR China ; Jiangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanchang, PR China.
authors.forename: Weiping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Min
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002104:Cadmium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002347:Carps; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D029941:Fish Proteins; D002104:Cadmium; D053148:Caspase 3