Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

MicroRNA Detection in Prostate Tumors by Quantitative Real-time PCR (qPCR)
08:30

MicroRNA Detection in Prostate Tumors by Quantitative Real-time PCR (qPCR)

Published on: May 16, 2012

Apoptosis regulators Fau and Bcl-G are down-regulated in prostate cancer

Mark R Pickard1, Sandra E Edwards, Colin S Cooper

  • 1Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Huxley Building, Keele, UK.

The Prostate
|August 6, 2010
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Reduced expression of Fau and Bcl-G genes is observed in prostate cancer, leading to decreased sensitivity to UVC-induced cell death. These findings suggest Fau and Bcl-G act as tumor suppressors in prostate cancer.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular biology
  • Cancer research
  • Apoptosis

Background:

  • Apoptosis regulation is crucial in prostate cancer, as its compromise leads to cell survival and therapy resistance.
  • Reduced expression of apoptosis regulators Fau and Bcl-G is implicated in oncogenesis.
  • This study investigates the role of Fau and Bcl-G in prostate cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if reduced Fau and Bcl-G expression is involved in prostate cancer.
  • To investigate the functional consequences of Fau and Bcl-G down-regulation on prostate cancer cell sensitivity to UVC irradiation.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative real-time RT-PCR was used to measure Fau and Bcl-G mRNA levels in prostate tissues and cell lines.
  • RNA interference was employed to reduce Fau and Bcl-G expression in vitro.
  • Sensitivity to UVC-induced cytotoxicity was assessed after gene down-regulation.

Main Results:

  • Fau and Bcl-G mRNA levels were significantly lower in prostate cancer tissues compared to normal prostate and benign prostatic hyperplasia tissues.
  • In vitro, down-regulation of Fau and Bcl-G reduced prostate cancer cell sensitivity to UVC-induced cytotoxicity.
  • Simultaneous down-regulation of both genes did not result in an additive decrease in sensitivity.

Conclusions:

  • Fau and Bcl-G mRNA levels are decreased in prostate cancer, supporting their role as candidate tumor suppressors.
  • Down-regulation of Fau and Bcl-G in prostate cancer cells leads to reduced sensitivity to UVC-induced cytotoxicity.
  • The lack of an additive effect suggests Fau and Bcl-G may function within the same apoptosis pathway.

More Related Videos

miRNA Expression Analyses in Prostate Cancer Clinical Tissues11:29

miRNA Expression Analyses in Prostate Cancer Clinical Tissues

Published on: September 8, 2015

Knockdown of FAM83A to Verify Its Role in Cervical Cancer Cell Growth and Cisplatin Sensitivity04:20

Knockdown of FAM83A to Verify Its Role in Cervical Cancer Cell Growth and Cisplatin Sensitivity

Published on: February 9, 2024

Related Concept Videos

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
Receptor Downregulation in MVBs01:15

Receptor Downregulation in MVBs

Multivesicular bodies (MVBs) are mature endosomes that sort ubiquitinated proteins and then fuse with lysosomes to degrade the sorted proteins. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGFR) form a complex that can be internalized through endocytosis, sorted into an MVB, and later degraded.
The EGFR can initiate signaling pathways that  lead to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR  stimulates cells to proliferate. Excessive  EGFR activation may...
Negative Regulator Molecules01:23

Negative Regulator Molecules

Positive regulators allow a cell to advance through cell cycle checkpoints. Negative regulators have an equally important role as they terminate a cell’s progression through the cell cycle—or pause it—until the cell meets specific criteria.
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the daughter...
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:17

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The extrinsic apoptotic pathway is initiated when extracellular death-inducing signals, such as specific cytokines, activate the death receptors expressed on the cell surface. The immune cells involved in this pathway are natural killer cells (NK cells) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. NK cells are critical in innate immune response, while cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are associated with adaptive immune response. These cells recognize specific receptors expressed on the altered cells and activate...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...