AJP - Lung Track the topics, authors and articles important to you
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol (February 7, 2003). doi:10.1152/ajplung.00172.2002
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
284/6/L1082    most recent
00172.2002v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ravid, T.
Right arrow Articles by Goldkorn, T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ravid, T.
Right arrow Articles by Goldkorn, T.
Submitted on June 4, 2002
Accepted on February 6, 2003

Ceramide accumulation precedes caspase-3 activation during apoptosis of A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells

Tommer Ravid1, Adili Tsaba1, Peter Gee1, Reuven Rasooly1, Edward A. Medina1, and Tzipora Goldkorn1*

1 Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ttgoldkorn{at}ucdavis.edu.

Ceramide, the basic structural unit of sphingolipids, controls the balance between cell growth and death by inducing apoptosis. We have previously shown that accumulation of ceramide, triggered by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or by short-chain ceramide analogs, induces apoptosis of lung epithelial cells. Here we elucidate the link between caspase-3 activation, at the execution phase, and ceramide accumulation, at the commitment phase of apoptosis in A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells. The induction of ceramide accumulation by various triggers of ceramide generation such as H2O2, C6-ceramide or UDP-glucose-ceramide glucosyltransferase inhibitor, PDMP, triggered the activation of caspase-3. This ceramide elevation also induced the cleavage of the death substrate poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and was followed by apoptotic cell death. Ceramide-mediated apoptosis was blocked by a general caspase inhibitor Boc-D-FMK, and by overexpression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. Notably, overexpression of Bcl-2 reduced the basal cellular levels of ceramide and prevented the induction of ceramide generation by C6-ceramide, which implies ceramide generation as a possible target for the anti-apoptotic effects of Bcl-2.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol.Home page
I. Petrache, T. R. Medler, A. T. Richter, K. Kamocki, U. Chukwueke, L. Zhen, Y. Gu, J. Adamowicz, K. S. Schweitzer, W. C. Hubbard, et al.
Superoxide dismutase protects against apoptosis and alveolar enlargement induced by ceramide
Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, July 1, 2008; 295(1): L44 - L53.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Bio.Home page
A. Pagano, C. Pitteloud, C. Reverdin, I. Metrailler-Ruchonnet, Y. Donati, and C. Barazzone Argiroffo
Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase Activation Mediates Lung Epithelial Cell Death In Vitro but Is Not Essential in Hyperoxia-Induced Lung Injury
Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., December 1, 2005; 33(6): 555 - 564.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Cancer Res.Home page
S. M. Kurinna, C. C. Tsao, A. F. Nica, T. Jiffar, and P. P. Ruvolo
Ceramide Promotes Apoptosis in Lung Cancer-Derived A549 Cells by a Mechanism Involving c-Jun NH2-Terminal Kinase
Cancer Res., November 1, 2004; 64(21): 7852 - 7856.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Infect. Immun.Home page
B. Schmeck, R. Gross, P. D. N'Guessan, A. C. Hocke, S. Hammerschmidt, T. J. Mitchell, S. Rosseau, N. Suttorp, and S. Hippenstiel
Streptococcus pneumoniae-Induced Caspase 6-Dependent Apoptosis in Lung Epithelium
Infect. Immun., September 1, 2004; 72(9): 4940 - 4947.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH
Visit Other APS Journals Online
Copyright © 2003 by the American Physiological Society.