Biomedical subjects

Geert van Loo

Publications and source records attributed to Geert van Loo.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Inhibition of transcription factor NF-kappaB in the central nervous system ameliorates autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice.

Activation of transcription factor NF-kappaB in the central nervous system (CNS) has been linked to autoimmune demyelinating disease; however, it remains unclear whether its function is protective or pathogenic. Here we show that CNS-restricted ablation of 'upstream' NF-kappaB activators NEMO or IKK2 but not IKK1 ameliorated disease pathology in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, suggesting that 'canonical' NF-kappaB activation in cells of the CNS has a mainly pathogenic function in autoimmune demyelinating disease. NF-kappaB inhibition prevented the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines and the adhesion molecule VCAM-1 from CNS-resident cells. Thus, NF-kappaB-dependent gene expression in non-microglial cells of the CNS provides a permissive proinflammatory milieu that is critical for CNS inflammation and tissue damage in autoimmune demyelinating disease.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Induction of apoptosis by TNF receptor 2 in a T-cell hybridoma is FADD dependent and blocked by caspase-8 inhibitors.

Previously we reported that both human TNFR1 and TNFR2 mediate TNF-induced apoptosis in the transfected rat/mouse T cell hybridoma PC60. We show here that TNFR2-mediated apoptosis in PVC60 cells can be blocked by the broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor zVAD-fmk, the caspase-8 inhibitor zIETD-fmk and by CrmA, a viral inhibitor of caspase-1 and caspase-8. This suggests an involvement of caspase-8 in TNFR2-mediated apoptosis. The upstream adaptor of caspase-8, FADD, is also involved in TNFR2-induced cell death, since transient overexpression of a dominant negative deletion mutant of FADD inhibited apoptosis induced by this receptor. TNFR2-induced apoptosis is independent of endogenous TNF or other death-inducing ligand production and subsequent activation of TNFR1 or other death receptors. Furthermore, TNFR2 stimulation does not enhance sensitivity for a subsequent TNFR1-induced apoptotic signal, as has been reported for Jurkat cells. TRAF2 downregulation, which has been proposed as the mechanism by which TNFR2 enhances TNFR1 signaling, was observed in PC60 cells, but the TNRF1 signal was not modulated. These data confirm the capacity of TNFR2 to generate an apoptotic cell death signal independent of TNFR1.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

PubMed2004

Toxic proteins released from mitochondria in cell death.

A plethora of apoptotic stimuli converge on the mitochondria and affect their membrane integrity. As a consequence, multiple death-promoting factors residing in the mitochondrial intermembrane space are liberated in the cytosol. Pro- and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins control the release of these mitochondrial proteins by inducing or preventing permeabilization of the outer mitochondrial membrane. Once released into the cytosol, these mitochondrial proteins activate both caspase-dependent and -independent cell death pathways. Cytochrome c was the first protein shown to be released from the mitochondria into the cytosol, where it induces apoptosome formation. Other released mitochondrial proteins include apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and endonuclease G, both of which contribute to apoptotic nuclear DNA damage in a caspase-independent way. Other examples are Smac/DIABLO (second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase/direct IAP-binding protein with low PI) and the serine protease HtrA2/OMI (high-temperature requirement protein A2), which both promote caspase activation and instigate caspase-independent cytotoxicity. The precise mode of action and importance of cytochrome c in apoptosis in mammalian cells has become clear through biochemical, structural and genetic studies. More recently identified factors, for example HtrA2/OMI and Smac/DIABLO, are still being studied intensively in order to delineate their functions in apoptosis. A better understanding of these functions may help to develop new strategies to treat cancer.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Bcl-2 family members as sentinels of cellular integrity and role of mitochondrial intermembrane space proteins in apoptotic cell death.

In addition to their function as major energy-providing organelles of the cell, mitochondria accomplish a crucial role in apoptosis. The pro-apoptotic BH3-only members of the Bcl-2 family continuously sense the cellular integrity and well-being at various subcellular levels. If these sentinels are induced, released or activated, they converge on the release of mitochondrial intermembrane space proteins such as cytochrome c, the oxidoreductase AIF, endonuclease G, Smac/DIABLO and the serine protease Omi/HtrA2. We discuss how Bcl-2 family members integrate diverse survival and death signals and act as central regulators of apoptosis. Furthermore, we describe the current knowledge on the role of mitochondrial proteins in apoptotic cell death, discuss the molecular mechanisms of their release and the apoptotic role of mitochondria from a phylogenetic and immunological point of view.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Differential signaling to apoptotic and necrotic cell death by Fas-associated death domain protein FADD.

Two general pathways for cell death have been defined, apoptosis and necrosis. Previous studies in Jurkat cells have demonstrated that the Fas-associated death domain (FADD) is required for Fas-mediated signaling to apoptosis and necrosis. Here we developed L929rTA cell lines that allow Tet-on inducible expression and FK506-binding protein (FKBP)-mediated dimerization of FADD, FADD-death effector domain (FADD-DED), or FADD-death domain (FADD-DD). We show that expression and dimerization of FADD leads to necrosis. However, pretreatment of the cells with the Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin, which leads to proteasome-mediated degradation of receptor interacting protein 1 (RIP1), reverts FKBP-FADD-induced necrosis to apoptosis. Expression and dimerization of FADD-DD mediates necrotic cell death. We found that FADD-DD is able to bind RIP1, another protein necessary for Fas-mediated necrosis. Expression and dimerization of FADD-DED initiates apoptosis. Remarkably, in the presence of caspase inhibitors, FADD-DED mediates necrotic cell death. Coimmunoprecipitation studies revealed that FADD-DED in the absence procaspase-8 C/A is also capable of recruiting RIP1. However, when procaspase-8 C/A and RIP1 are expressed simultaneously, FADD-DED preferentially recruits procaspase-8 C/A.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

PubMed2003

Mitochondrial intermembrane proteins in cell death.

Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell death important in the development and tissue homeostasis of multicellular organisms. Mitochondria have, next to their function in respiration, an important role in the apoptotic-signaling pathway. Malfunctioning at any level of the cell is eventually translated in the release of apoptogenic factors from the mitochondrial intermembrane space resulting in the organized demise of the cell. Some of these factors, such as AIF and endonuclease G, appear to be highly conserved during evolution. Other factors, like cytochrome c, have gained their apoptogenic function later during evolution. In this review, we focus on the role of cytochrome c, AIF, endonuclease G, Smac/DIABLO, Omi/HtrA2, Acyl-CoA-binding protein, and polypyrimidine tract-binding protein in the initiation and modulation of cell death in different model organisms. These mitochondrial factors may contribute to both caspase-dependent and caspase-independent processes in apoptotic cell death.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

A Bcl-2 transgene expressed in hepatocytes does not protect mice from fulminant liver destruction induced by Fas ligand.

We compared the biological mechanism of cell death during hepatotoxicity induced by ligation of the Fas receptor in wild-type and liver-specific bcl-2 transgenic mice. Transgenic overexpression of Bcl-2 in mouse hepatocytes can prevent lethal hepatitis induced by agonistic anti-Fas antibodies. In contrast, Fas ligand (FasL)-induced death cannot be overcome in bcl-2 transgenic mice, indicating that anti-Fas antibodies do not reliably mimic the more physiological ligand. Different apoptotic parameters, viz. caspase activation, cytochrome c release and nuclear DNA degradation were analysed. No differences, however, could be observed between wild-type and bcl-2 transgenic mice after injection with a lethal dose of soluble FasL, indicating that apoptosis by FasL-dependent ligation is not modulated by Bcl-2 in vivo. These results demonstrate that the stimulus determines the outcome between type I mitochondria-independent apoptosis, in the case of FasL, or type II mitochondria-dependent and Bcl-2-inhibitable apoptosis, in the case of anti-Fas antibodies.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Disruption of HSP90 function reverts tumor necrosis factor-induced necrosis to apoptosis.

Triggering tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (TNFR1) induces apoptosis in various cell lines. In contrast, stimulation of TNFR1 in L929sA leads to necrosis. Inhibition of HSP90, a chaperone for many kinases, by geldanamycin or radicicol shifted the response of L929sA cells to TNF from necrosis to apoptosis. This shift was blocked by CrmA but not by BCL-2 overexpression, suggesting that it occurred through activation of procaspase-8. Geldanamycin pretreatment led to a proteasome-dependent decrease in the levels of several TNFR1-interacting proteins including the kinases receptor-interacting protein, inhibitor of kappa B kinase-alpha, inhibitor of kappa B kinase-beta, and to a lesser extent the adaptors NF-kappaB essential modulator and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 2. As a consequence, NF-kappa B, p38MAPK, and JNK activation were abolished. No significant decrease in the levels of mitogen-activated protein kinases, adaptor proteins TNFR-associated death domain and Fas-associated death domain, or caspase-3, -8, and -9 could be detected. These results suggest that HSP90 client proteins play a crucial role in necrotic signaling. We conclude that inhibition of HSP90 may alter the composition of the TNFR1 complex, favoring the caspase-8-dependent apoptotic pathway. In the absence of geldanamycin, certain HSP90 client proteins may be preferentially recruited to the TNFR1 complex, promoting necrosis. Thus, the availability of proteins such as receptor-interacting protein, Fas-associated death domain, and caspase-8 can determine whether TNFR1 activation will lead to apoptosis or to necrosis.

Amino Acid Substitution↗