Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Studies (STIAS)

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Browsing Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Studies (STIAS) by Subject "Apoptosis"

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    Anti-inflammatory effects of reactive oxygen species : a multi-valued logical model validated by formal concept analysis
    (BioMed Central, 2014-09) Wollbold, Johannes; Jaster, Robert; Muller, Sarah; Rateitschak, Katja; Wolkenhauer, Olaf
    Background: Recent findings suggest that in pancreatic acinar cells stimulated with bile acid, a pro-apoptotic effect of reactive oxygen species (ROS) dominates their effect on necrosis and spreading of inflammation. The first effect presumably occurs via cytochrome C release from the inner mitochondrial membrane. A pro-necrotic effect – similar to the one of Ca2+ – can be strong opening of mitochondrial pores leading to breakdown of the membrane potential, ATP depletion, sustained Ca2+ increase and premature activation of digestive enzymes. To explain published data and to understand ROS effects during the onset of acute pancreatitis, a model using multi-valued logic is constructed. Formal concept analysis (FCA) is used to validate the model against data as well as to analyze and visualize rules that capture the dynamics. Results: Simulations for two different levels of bile stimulation and for inhibition or addition of antioxidants reproduce the qualitative behaviour shown in the experiments. Based on reported differences of ROS production and of ROS induced pore opening, the model predicts a more uniform apoptosis/necrosis ratio for higher and lower bile stimulation in liver cells than in pancreatic acinar cells. FCA confirms that essential dynamical features of the data are captured by the model. For instance, high necrosis always occurs together with at least a medium level of apoptosis. At the same time, FCA helps to reveal subtle differences between data and simulations. The FCA visualization underlines the protective role of ROS against necrosis. Conclusions: The analysis of the model demonstrates how ROS and decreased antioxidant levels contribute to apoptosis. Studying the induction of necrosis via a sustained Ca2+ increase, we implemented the commonly accepted hypothesis of ATP depletion after strong bile stimulation. Using an alternative model, we demonstrate that this process is not necessary to generate the dynamics of the measured variables. Opening of plasma membrane channels could also lead to a prolonged increase of Ca2+ and to necrosis. Finally, the analysis of the model suggests a direct experimental testing for the model-based hypothesis of a self-enhancing cycle of cytochrome C release and ROS production by interruption of the mitochondrial electron transport chain.
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    Death domain signaling by disulfide-linked dimers of the p75 neurotrophin receptor mediates neuronal death in the CNS
    (Society for Neuroscience, 2016-05-18) Tanaka, Kazuhiro; Kelly, Claire E.; Goh, Ket Yin; Lim, Kim Buay; Ibanez, Carlos F.
    The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) mediates neuronal death in response to neural insults by activating a caspase apoptotic pathway. The oligomeric state and activation mechanism that enable p75NTR to mediate these effects have recently been called into question. Here, we have investigated mutant mice lacking the p75NTR death domain (DD) or a highly conserved transmembrane (TM) cysteine residue (Cys 259) implicated in receptor dimerization and activation. Neuronal death induced by proneurotrophins or epileptic seizures was assessed and compared with responses in p75NTR knock-out mice and wild-type animals. Proneurotrophins induced apoptosis of cultured hippocampal and cortical neurons from wild-type mice, but mutant neurons lacking p75NTR, only the p75NTRDD, or just Cys 259 were all equally resistant to proneurotrophin-induced neuronal death. Homo-FRET anisotropy experiments demonstrated that both NGF and proNGF induce conformational changes in p75NTR that are dependent on the TM cysteine. In vivo, neuronal death induced by pilocarpine-mediated seizures was significantly reduced in the hippocampus and somatosensory, piriform, and entorhinal cortices of all three strains of p75NTR mutant mice. Interestingly, the levels of protection observed in mice lacking the DD or only Cys 259were identical tothose of p75NTR knock-out mice eventhoughthe Cys 259mutant differedfromthe wild-type receptorin only one amino acid residue.We conclude that, both in vitro and in vivo, neuronal death induced by p75NTR requires the DD and TM Cys 259, supporting the physiological relevance of DD signaling by disulfide-linked dimers of p75NTR in the CNS.