Apoptosis inducing factor (AIF): a phylogenetically old, caspase-independent effector of cell death. (1/444)

Although much emphasis has been laid on the role of caspase in cell death, recent data indicate that, in many instances, mammalian cell death is caspase-independent. Thus, in many examples of mammalian cell death the 'decision' between death and life is upstream or independent of caspase activation. Similarly, it is unclear whether PCD of plants and fungi involves the activation of caspase-like enzymes, and no caspase-like gene has thus far been cloned in these phyla. Apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) is a new mammalian, caspase-independent death effector which, upon apoptosis induction, translocates from its normal localization, the mitochondrial intermembrane space, to the nucleus. Once in the nucleus, AIF causes chromatin condensation and large scale DNA fragmentation to fragments of approximately 50 kbp. The AIF cDNA from mouse and man codes for a protein which possesses three domains (i) an amino-terminal presequence which is removed upon import into the intermembrane space of mitochondria; (ii) a spacer sequence of approximately 27 amino acids; and (iii) a carboxyterminal 484 amino acid oxidoreductase domain with strong homology to oxidoreductases from other vertebrates (X. laevis), non-vertebrate animals (C. elegans, D. melanogaster), plants, fungi, eubacteria, and archaebacteria. Functionally important amino acids involved in the interaction with the prosthetic groups flavin adenine nucleotide and nicotinamide adenine nucleotide are strongly conserved between AIF and bacterial oxidoreductase. Several eukaryotes possess a similar domain organisation in their AIF homologs, making them candidates to be mitochondrial oxidoreductases as well as caspase-independent death effectors. The phylogenetic implications of these findings are discussed.  (+info)

Mitochondria and cell death. Mechanistic aspects and methodological issues. (2/444)

Mitochondria are involved in cell death for reasons that go beyond ATP supply. A recent advance has been the discovery that mitochondria contain and release proteins that are involved in the apoptotic cascade, like cytochrome c and apoptosis inducing factor. The involvement of mitochondria in cell death, and its being cause or consequence, remain issues that are extremely complex to address in situ. The response of mitochondria may critically depend on the type of stimulus, on its intensity, and on the specific mitochondrial function that has been primarily perturbed. On the other hand, the outcome also depends on the integration of mitochondrial responses that cannot be dissected easily. Here, we try to identify the mechanistic aspects of mitochondrial involvement in cell death as can be derived from our current understanding of mitochondrial physiology, with special emphasis on the permeability transition and its consequences (like onset of swelling, cytochrome c release and respiratory inhibition); and to critically evaluate methods that are widely used to monitor mitochondrial function in situ.  (+info)

The novel retinoid 6-[3-(1-adamantyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl]-2-naphtalene carboxylic acid can trigger apoptosis through a mitochondrial pathway independent of the nucleus. (3/444)

The novel retinoid 6-[3-(1-adamantyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl]-2-naphtalene carboxylic acid (AHPN/CD437), a retinoic acid receptor (RAR)gamma activator, has been found to inhibit the growth and to induce apoptosis of a wide variety of malignant cell types including solid tumors and various leukemias. Interestingly, CD437 is able to induce apoptosis in some all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA)-resistant models. In a number of experimental systems, the early apoptotic stage that precedes nuclear chromatinolysis consists in mitochondrial alterations, including a disruption of the inner mitochondrial transmembrane potential (delta(psi)m) mediated by the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT). Similarly CD437 causes RPMI 8226, a human myeloma cell line, to undergo a rapid delta(psi)m disruption that precedes other apoptotic alterations such as the generation of reactive oxygen species and DNA fragmentation. The same sequence of events is observed during the CD437-induced apoptosis in L363, a RARgamma-negative human myeloma cell line, as well as RPMI 8226 cytoplasts (anucleate cells). Indeed, RPMI 8226 cells and cytoplasts manifest a similar degree in delta(psi)m loss, phosphatidylserine exposure, and caspase activation in response to CD437, which indicates that nuclear effects cannot account for the apoptogenic potential of CD437. The mitochondrial release of cytochrome c, the activation of caspases as well as nuclear signs of CD437-induced apoptosis are fully prevented by the MPT inhibitory compound cyclosporin A. Purified mitochondria can be directly induced to undergo MPT with CD437 but not with ATRA. In a cell-free in vitro system consisting of exposing mitochondrial supernatants to isolated nuclei, only supernatants from CD437-treated mitochondria provoke chromatin condensation, whereas supernatants from mitochondria treated with ATRA, or with the combination of CD437 and cyclosporin A, remain inactive. In conclusion, these results suggest that the rapid execution of CD437-induced apoptosis is a nucleus-independent (and probably RARgamma-independent) phenomenon involving mitochondria and MPT.  (+info)

Mitochondrio-nuclear translocation of AIF in apoptosis and necrosis. (4/444)

Apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) is a novel apoptotic effector protein that induces chromatin condensation and large-scale ( approximately 50 kbp) DNA fragmentation when added to purified nuclei in vitro. Confocal and electron microscopy reveal that, in normal cells, AIF is strictly confined to mitochondria and thus colocalizes with heat shock protein 60 (hsp60). On induction of apoptosis by staurosporin, c-Myc, etoposide, or ceramide, AIF (but not hsp60) translocates to the nucleus. This suggests that only the outer mitochondrial membrane (which retains AIF in the intermembrane space) but not the inner membrane (which retains hsp60 in the matrix) becomes protein permeable. The mitochondrio-nuclear redistribution of AIF is prevented by a Bcl-2 protein specifically targeted to mitochondrial membranes. The pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD. fmk does not prevent the staurosporin-induced translocation of AIF, although it does inhibit oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation and arrests chromatin condensation at an early stage. ATP depletion is sufficient to cause AIF translocation to the nucleus, and this phenomenon is accelerated by the apoptosis inducer staurosporin. However, in conditions in which both glycolytic and respiratory ATP generation is inhibited, cells fail to manifest any sign of chromatin condensation and advanced DNA fragmentation, thus manifesting a 'necrotic' phenotype. Both in the presence of Z-VAD. fmk and in conditions of ATP depletion, AIF translocation correlates with the appearance of large-scale DNA fragmentation. Altogether, these data are compatible with the hypothesis that AIF is a caspase-independent mitochondrial death effector responsible for partial chromatinolysis.  (+info)

Induction of metabolism-dependent and -independent neutrophil apoptosis by clozapine. (5/444)

Clozapine, an atypical antipsychotic used in the treatment of refractory schizophrenia, causes neutropenia and agranulocytosis in 3 and 0.8% of patients, respectively. Clozapine undergoes bioactivation to a chemically reactive nitrenium ion, which has been shown to cause neutrophil cytotoxicity. To define further the mechanism of cell death, we have investigated the toxicity of clozapine, its stable metabolites, and its chemically reactive nitrenium ion to neutrophils and lymphocytes. Clozapine was able to induce neutrophil apoptosis at therapeutic concentrations (1-3 microM) only when it was bioactivated to the nitrenium ion. The parent drug caused apoptosis at supratherapeutic concentrations (100-300 microM) only. Neutrophil apoptosis induced by the nitrenium ion, but not by the parent drug itself, was inhibited by antioxidants and genistein and was accompanied by cell surface haptenation (assessed by flow cytometry) and glutathione depletion. Dual-color flow cytometry showed that neutrophils that were haptenated were the same cells that underwent apoptosis. No apoptosis of lymphocytes was evident with the nitrenium ion or the parent drug, despite the fact that the former caused cell surface haptenation, glutathione depletion, and loss of membrane integrity. Demethylclozapine, the major stable metabolite in vivo, showed a profile that was similar to, although less marked than that observed with clozapine. N-oxidation of clozapine or replacement of the nitrogen (at position 5) by sulfur produced compounds that were entirely nontoxic to neutrophils. In conclusion, the findings of the study expand on potential mechanisms of clozapine-induced cytotoxicity, which may be of relevance to the major forms of toxicity encountered in patients taking this drug.  (+info)

BNIP3 and genetic control of necrosis-like cell death through the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. (6/444)

Many apoptotic signaling pathways are directed to mitochondria, where they initiate the release of apoptogenic proteins and open the proposed mitochondrial permeability transition (PT) pore that ultimately results in the activation of the caspase proteases responsible for cell disassembly. BNIP3 (formerly NIP3) is a member of the Bcl-2 family that is expressed in mitochondria and induces apoptosis without a functional BH3 domain. We report that endogenous BNIP3 is loosely associated with mitochondrial membrane in normal tissue but fully integrates into the mitochondrial outer membrane with the N terminus in the cytoplasm and the C terminus in the membrane during induction of cell death. Surprisingly, BNIP3-mediated cell death is independent of Apaf-1, caspase activation, cytochrome c release, and nuclear translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor. However, cells transfected with BNIP3 exhibit early plasma membrane permeability, mitochondrial damage, extensive cytoplasmic vacuolation, and mitochondrial autophagy, yielding a morphotype that is typical of necrosis. These changes were accompanied by rapid and profound mitochondrial dysfunction characterized by opening of the mitochondrial PT pore, proton electrochemical gradient (Deltapsim) suppression, and increased reactive oxygen species production. The PT pore inhibitors cyclosporin A and bongkrekic acid blocked mitochondrial dysregulation and cell death. We propose that BNIP3 is a gene that mediates a necrosis-like cell death through PT pore opening and mitochondrial dysfunction.  (+info)

Purification and cloning of an apoptosis-inducing protein derived from fish infected with Anisakis simplex, a causative nematode of human anisakiasis. (7/444)

While investigating the effect of marine products on cell growth, we found that visceral extracts of Chub mackerel, an ocean fish, had a powerful and dose-dependent apoptosis-inducing effect on a variety of mammalian tumor cells. This activity was strikingly dependent on infection of the C. mackerel with the larval nematode, Anisakis simplex. After purification of the protein responsible for the apoptosis-inducing activity, we cloned the corresponding gene and found it to be a flavoprotein. This protein, termed apoptosis-inducing protein (AIP), was also found to possess an endoplasmic reticulum retention signal (C-terminal KDEL sequence) and H2O2-producing activity, indicating that we had isolated a novel reticuloplasimin with potent apoptosis-inducing activity. AIP was induced in fish only after infection with larval nematode and was localized to capsules that formed around larvae to prevent their migration to host tissues. Our results suggest that AIP may function to impede nematode infection.  (+info)

Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF): a ubiquitous mitochondrial oxidoreductase involved in apoptosis. (8/444)

Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is encoded by one single gene located on the X chromosome. AIF is ubiquitously expressed, both in normal tissues and in a variety of cancer cell lines. The AIF precursor is synthesized in the cytosol and is imported into mitochondria. The mature AIF protein, a flavoprotein (prosthetic group: flavine adenine dinucleotide) with significant homology to plant ascorbate reductases and bacterial NADH oxidases, is normally confined to the mitochondrial intermembrane space. In a variety of different apoptosis-inducing conditions, AIF translocates through the outer mitochondrial membrane to the cytosol and to the nucleus. Ectopic (extra-mitochondrial) AIF induces nuclear chromatin condensation, as well as large scale ( approximately 50 kb) DNA fragmentation. Thus, similar to cytochrome c, AIF is a phylogenetically old, bifunctional protein with an electron acceptor/donor (oxidoreductase) function and a second apoptogenic function. In contrast to cytochrome c, however, AIF acts in a caspase-independent fashion. The molecular mechanisms via which AIF induces apoptosis are discussed.  (+info)

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