Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
12:55
Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis
Published on: February 16, 2015
A critical role for UVRAG in apoptosis
Xiaocheng Yin1, Lizhi Cao, Yanhui Peng
1Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanhua University, Hengyang, Hunan People's Republic of China. xcyin108@sina.com
Autophagy
|May 25, 2011
Summary
UVRAG protein prevents programmed cell death (apoptosis) in tumor cells by inhibiting the movement of Bax protein to mitochondria. This cytoprotective function is crucial for cell survival during cancer therapy.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Autophagy and apoptosis are vital cellular processes for homeostasis.
- UVRAG (UV radiation resistance-associated gene) is known to promote autophagosome formation and maturation.
- The role of UVRAG in apoptosis, particularly during cancer therapy, requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the anti-apoptotic role of UVRAG in human tumor cells during cancer therapy.
- To explore the molecular mechanism of UVRAG's interaction with Bax during apoptosis.
- To determine the functional significance of the UVRAG C2 domain in regulating Bax localization and cell death.
Main Methods:
- Investigated UVRAG's interaction with Bax in human tumor cells.
- Analyzed the effect of UVRAG on Bax translocation to mitochondria during apoptosis induced by chemotherapy or UV irradiation.
- Assessed the impact of UVRAG C2 domain deletion on Bax binding and anti-apoptotic activity.
Main Results:
- UVRAG exhibits anti-apoptotic activity during tumor therapy by interacting with Bax.
- UVRAG inhibits the translocation of Bax from the cytosol to mitochondria, a key step in apoptosis.
- Deletion of the UVRAG C2 domain abrogates Bax binding and its associated anti-apoptotic function.
Conclusions:
- UVRAG possesses cytoprotective functions in the cytosol, independent of its pro-autophagy role.
- UVRAG controls Bax localization in tumor cells subjected to apoptotic stimuli, thereby inhibiting cell death.
- These findings highlight UVRAG as a potential therapeutic target for enhancing cancer treatment efficacy.
Related Concept Videos
01:17The 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...
01:30Apoptosis
Apoptosis is a combination of two Greek words, 'apo' and 'ptosis,' meaning separation and falling off, respectively. Hippocrates used this word to describe gangrene, which was caused due to bandaging of fractured bones. Apoptosis was distinguished from necrosis in 1970 when John Kerr reported observations of morphological changes occurring during apoptosis. During one experiment, he observed that the disruption of blood supply to the liver tissue resulted in a size reduction of the tissue.
01:31The 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...
01:24Caspases
Caspase, a family of cysteine proteases, serve as effectors in apoptosis. The ced3 gene in C.elegans was first identified to be involved in apoptosis. This gene encodes the ced-3 caspase that is similar to the interleukin-1-beta converting enzyme or ICE in mammals. In addition to apoptosis, caspases also function in the inflammatory response. Inflammatory caspases are essential in activating pro-inflammatory cytokines that recruit immune cells and block the replication of pathogens inside cells.
01:22Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy
Cells respond to damage and stress through highly coordinated processes that decide whether they survive or undergo controlled self-destruction. Two major pathways involved in this regulation are apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, and autophagy, a survival mechanism that helps cells adapt to adverse conditions.ApoptosisApoptosis removes aged or injured cells to maintain tissue balance. During this process, the cell shrinks, chromatin condenses and fragments, and membrane-bound...
01:35Mutations
Mutations are changes in the sequence of DNA. These changes can occur spontaneously or they can be induced by exposure to environmental factors. Mutations can be characterized in a number of different ways: whether and how they alter the amino acid sequence of the protein, whether they occur over a small or large area of DNA, and whether they occur in somatic cells or germline cells.
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...
Chromosomal Alterations Are Large-Scale Mutations
While point mutations are changes in a single nucleotide in...