Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chuan Zhou, Michelle M. Halstead, Amelie Bonnet-Garnier, Richard M. Schultz, Pablo J. Ross
Summary: Using CUT&Tag, researchers profiled histone modifications in bovine oocytes, embryos, and blastocysts to understand gene expression changes during preimplantation development. They found that broad bivalent domains mark developmental genes in oocytes, and repressive marks H3K9me3 and H3K27me3 are present before embryonic genome activation (EGA), suggesting a global transcription repression mechanism. Chromatin accessibility is established before activating marks H3K4me3 and H3K27ac during EGA. Transcription is required for the remodeling process, indicating the insufficiency of maternal products alone. H3K27me3 plays a major role in cellular potency restriction and blastocyst lineage determination.
Review
Cell Biology
Takao Kataoka
Summary: Mitochondria play a crucial role in cellular stress responses, regulating cell death through fission and fusion cycles and mitophagy. BCL-RAMBO, a member of the BCL-2 family proteins, not only regulates apoptosis signaling at mitochondria but also serves as a mitophagy receptor, controlling mitochondrial fragmentation and mitophagy.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dong Man Jang, Eun Kyung Oh, Hyunggu Hahn, Hyoun Sook Kim, Byung Woo Han
Summary: This study reports the crystal structure of human full-length Bfk, revealing its canonical Bcl-2 fold but lacking the hydrophobic cleft. Molecular dynamics simulation and biophysical interaction analysis demonstrate that Bfk elicits its pro-apoptotic activity through a Bid-like apoptotic mechanism.
COMPUTATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Surinder M. Soond, Maria V. Kozhevnikova, Lyudmila V. Savvateeva, Paul A. Townsend, Andrey A. Zamyatnin
Summary: With the increasing importance of cathepsin-mediated substrate proteolysis in tumor biology, the emphasis on therapeutic design and development is growing. In order to target this interaction with tangible therapeutics, consideration must be given to the selectivity of anti- and pro-apoptotic signaling intermediates as downstream substrates for certain activated cathepsin proteases. Further exploration of 'BH3-mimetics' in modulating the relationship between these intermediates and their upstream cathepsin protease regulators is essential for improved therapeutic design.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Alakananda Basu
Summary: The interplay between apoptosis and senescence is crucial in cancer development, and targeting the Bcl-2 family proteins could be a promising strategy for cancer therapy. Therapy-induced senescence (TIS), induced by chemotherapeutic agents, has been controversial in its effect on therapeutic outcome. Clearance of senescent cells and overcoming their pro-survival mechanisms are important challenges in cancer treatment. This review article discusses recent literature on the role of the Bcl-2 family proteins in apoptosis and senescence, and the progress and limitations in targeting them for cancer therapy.
PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daniel Barriuso, Lucia Alvarez-Frutos, Lucia Gonzalez-Gutierrez, Omar Motino, Guido Kroemer, Roberto Palacios-Ramirez, Laura Senovilla
Summary: The Bcl-2 family of proteins, known for regulating apoptosis, is also involved in cellular senescence. These proteins play a role in determining the entry into senescence and the expression levels are modulated during senescence, promoting cell survival. Manipulation of Bax and Bcl-2 expression affects the appearance and survival of tetraploid cells. Understanding the role of Bcl-2 family proteins in senescence can lead to new therapeutic strategies for targeting cancer cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lisenn Lalier, Francois Vallette, Stephen Manon
Summary: This review examines the role of mitochondrial import machineries in the localization of Bcl-2 family members and how these machineries regulate the function of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins in resting and apoptotic cells.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Erika E. Paulson, Emily L. Fishman, Richard M. Schultz, Pablo J. Ross
Summary: MicroRNAs play a crucial role in preimplantation embryo development, with their expression increasing during the morula and blastocyst stages. Knockdown of DGCR8 inhibits the expression of embryonically expressed miRNAs and the morula-to-blastocyst transition.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Shanna Qian, Zhong Wei, Wanting Yang, Jinling Huang, Yinfeng Yang, Jinghui Wang
Summary: Apoptosis, a crucial biological process, plays a central role in cancer development and traditional cytotoxic therapies. The study of BCL-2 family proteins in regulating apoptosis and the development of anticancer drugs targeting BCL-2 anti-apoptotic proteins has gained increasing attention, showing great potential in cancer therapy.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Elisabetta Valentini, Simona D'Aguanno, Marta Di Martile, Camilla Montesano, Virginia Ferraresi, Alexandros Patsilinakos, Manuela Sabatino, Lorenzo Antonini, Martina Chiacchiarini, Sergio Valente, Antonello Mai, Gianni Colotti, Rino Ragno, Daniela Trisciuoglio, Donatella Del Bufalo
Summary: Bcl-2 family anti-apoptotic proteins play a significant role in cancer, and finding new molecules targeting these proteins has therapeutic potential. Through virtual screening and experimental validation, IS20 and IS21 were identified as compounds that can inhibit the activity of Bcl-2 family proteins and have anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects on various tumors.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chathura D. Suraweera, Suresh Banjara, Mark G. Hinds, Marc Kvansakul
Summary: The B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family of genes regulates intrinsic apoptosis by coordinating the integrity of the mitochondrial outer membrane. Bcl-2 genes are present in early metazoans and have different variations among species. The structure of Bcl-2 proteins is highly conserved over evolutionary time, and some Bcl-2 proteins may have non-apoptotic functions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hector Flores-Romero, Lisa Hohorst, Malina John, Marie-Christine Albert, Louise E. King, Laura Beckmann, Tamas Szabo, Vanessa Hertlein, Xu Luo, Andreas Villunger, Lukas P. Frenzel, Hamid Kashkar, Ana J. Garcia-Saez
Summary: This study reveals a previously unrecognized activity of tBID in mediating mitochondrial permeabilization independently of BAX and BAK, which has physiological relevance in immune response and cancer therapy. This novel function of tBID is dependent on a specific helix structure and can be blocked by anti-apoptotic proteins, providing potential implications for therapeutic intervention in bacterial infections and cancer treatment.
Article
Cell Biology
Jin-Song An, Guo-Liang Wang, Dong-Ming Wang, Yong-Qing Yang, Jia-Shun Wu, Ying-Qi Zhao, Shuai Gong, Jing-He Tan
Summary: This study found that corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and cortisol indirectly impair pig fertilization and embryo development by inducing apoptosis in pig oviductal epithelial cells (OECs) through the activation of the FAS and TNF alpha systems. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) did not show any detrimental effect on pig embryos or OECs.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katarzyna Ratajczak, Natalia Glatzel-Plucinska, Katarzyna Ratajczak-Wielgomas, Katarzyna Nowinska, Sylwia Borska
Summary: Resveratrol may have anticarcinogenic effects by inhibiting human pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and affecting the levels of Bcl-2 proteins. However, its activity is specific to each tested cell line, with the most significant changes observed in the mitoxantrone-resistant cells.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Deeksha Kaloni, Sarah T. Diepstraten, Andreas Strasser, Gemma L. Kelly
Summary: Acquired resistance to cell death is a key characteristic of cancer. The BCL-2 protein family members have important roles in regulating apoptotic cell death. Abnormal expression of pro-survival BCL-2 family proteins or reduction in pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins, both leading to inhibition of apoptosis, are commonly observed in various types of cancer. The critical role of pro-survival and pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins in apoptosis regulation makes them attractive targets for cancer treatment. This review discusses the roles of different pro-survival and pro-apoptotic members of the BCL-2 protein family in normal development and organismal function, as well as how defects in apoptosis control contribute to cancer development and therapy resistance. Lastly, the development of inhibitors targeting pro-survival BCL-2 proteins, known as BH3-mimetic drugs, as novel agents for cancer therapy is discussed.