Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Lighting Up the Pathways to Caspase Activation Using Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation
08:47

Lighting Up the Pathways to Caspase Activation Using Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation

Published on: March 5, 2018

Overexpression of the truncated form of Livin reveals a complex interaction with caspase-3

Gui-Hong Liu1, Chun Wang, Zhen-Yu Ding

  • 1Division of Thoracic Cancer, West China Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P.R. China.

International Journal of Oncology
|April 9, 2013
PubMed

Insights

The truncated Livin-beta (tLivin) protein fragment promotes apoptosis by activating caspase-3. However, subsequent cleavage yields a C-terminal fragment (livC) that inhibits apoptosis, revealing a complex role in cell death regulation.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Disruptions in apoptosis are implicated in cancer development.
  • Livin-beta is a known modulator of cell death in tumor cells.
  • A truncated form, tLivin, is generated via protein cleavage, but its function is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the biological consequences of tLivin production.
  • To elucidate the role of tLivin in apoptosis regulation.
  • To understand the mechanism of tLivin-mediated cell death.

Main Methods:

  • Cell culture and protein analysis.
  • Assessment of apoptosis and caspase activity.
  • Subcellular localization studies.

Main Results:

  • tLivin demonstrated a pro-apoptotic effect in cells.
  • tLivin localized primarily to the cytoplasm.
  • Elevated caspase-3 activity was observed, correlating with apoptosis.
  • tLivin underwent further cleavage by caspase-3 into an anti-apoptotic fragment, livC.

Conclusions:

  • tLivin acts as a pro-apoptotic factor, inducing cell death via caspase-3 activation.
  • The subsequent generation of the anti-apoptotic livC fragment suggests a complex regulatory feedback loop.
  • This study enhances understanding of Livin's multifaceted role in controlling cell death pathways.

More Related Videos

Evaluation of Caspase Activation to Assess Innate Immune Cell Death10:23

Evaluation of Caspase Activation to Assess Innate Immune Cell Death

Published on: January 20, 2023

Visualization of Inflammatory Caspases Induced Proximity in Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages08:41

Visualization of Inflammatory Caspases Induced Proximity in Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages

Published on: April 6, 2022

Related Concept Videos

Caspases01:24

Caspases

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.
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...
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...
Apoptosis01:30

Apoptosis

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.