title: Autophagic activity in BC3H1 cells exposed to yessotoxin.
abstract: The marine toxin yessotoxin (YTX) can induce programmed cell death through both caspase-dependent and -independent pathways in various cellular systems. It appears to stimulate different forms of cellular stress causing instability among cell death mechanisms and making them overlap and cross-talk. Autophagy is one of the key pathways that can be stimulated by multiple forms of cellular stress which may determine cell survival or death. The present work evaluates a plausible link between ribotoxic stress and autophagic activity in BC3H1 cells treated with YTX. Such treatment produces massive cytoplasmic compartments as well as double-membrane vesicles termed autophagosomes which are typically observed in cells undergoing autophagy. The observed autophagosomes contain a large amount of ribosomes associated with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Western blotting analysis of Atg proteins and detection of the autophagic markers LC3-II and SQSTM1/p62 by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence verified autophagic activity during YTX-treatment. The present work supports the idea that autophagic activity upon YTX exposure may represent a response to ribotoxic stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) - Campus Ås, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway. Electronic address: monica.suarez.korsnes@nmbu.no.
authors.forename: Mónica Suárez
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Korsnes
authors.affiliation: Imaging Centre, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) - Campus Ås, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway.
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kolstad
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) - Campus Ås, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway; Smerud Medical Research, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Charlotte Ramstad
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Kleiveland
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Ås, Norway; Norwegian Defense Research Establishment (FFI), Kjeller, Norway.
authors.forename: Reinert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Korsnes
authors.affiliation: Imaging Centre, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) - Campus Ås, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway.
authors.forename: Elin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ørmen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy / Q000187:drug effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008978:Mollusk Venoms; D035964:Oxocins / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D008387:Marine Toxins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D008978:Mollusk Venoms; D035964:Oxocins; C066632:yessotoxin
keywords: Atg proteins; Autophagosomes; Autophagy; BC3H1 cells; LC3-II; Lamellar bodies; Yessotoxin