Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 26, 2026

siRNA Electroporation to Modulate Autophagy in Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1-Infected Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells
09:10

siRNA Electroporation to Modulate Autophagy in Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1-Infected Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells

Published on: October 28, 2019

9.1K

Bcl-2 down-regulation by small interfering RNA induces Beclin1-dependent autophagy in human SGC-7901 cells

Yun Du1, Xiaokun Ji

  • 1The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Province China-Japan Friendship Center for Cancer Detection, China.

Cell Biology International
|July 22, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Knocking down Bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic protein, triggers autophagy in gastric cancer cells. This suggests Bcl-2 siRNA could be a therapeutic strategy for gastric cancers overexpressing Bcl-2.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Bcl-2 protein regulates apoptosis and interacts with Beclin1, an autophagy effector.
  • The precise role of Bcl-2 in autophagy remains unclear.
  • Beclin1 is a crucial protein in autophagy and a tumor suppressor.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Bcl-2 in autophagy.
  • To explore the effect of Bcl-2 knockdown on autophagy in human SGC-7901 gastric cancer cells.
  • To assess the potential of Bcl-2 siRNA as a therapeutic strategy.

Main Methods:

  • Overexpression of Bcl-2 in SGC-7901 cells.
  • Small interfering RNA (siRNA) to knockdown Bcl-2 expression.
  • Western blot to measure protein levels (Bcl-2, Beclin1).
  • Transmission electron microscopy to observe cellular structures.
  • DNA fragmentation assay to detect apoptosis.

Main Results:

  • Bcl-2 siRNA significantly downregulated Bcl-2 protein levels (∼82%).
  • Autophagy was induced, with Beclin1 protein levels increasing by 58%.
  • Transmission electron microscopy and DNA fragmentation assays confirmed enhanced autophagy but not apoptosis.

Conclusions:

  • Knocking out the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 induces autophagy in SGC-7901 cells.
  • Bcl-2 specific siRNA demonstrates potential as a therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer.
  • Targeting Bcl-2 may offer a novel approach for treating gastric cancers with Bcl-2 overexpression.
Keywords:
Bcl-2 siRNABeclin1apoptosisautophagypost-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGs)

More Related Videos

Evaluation of LC3-II Release via Extracellular Vesicles in Relation to the Accumulation of Intracellular LC3-positive Vesicles06:58

Evaluation of LC3-II Release via Extracellular Vesicles in Relation to the Accumulation of Intracellular LC3-positive Vesicles

Published on: October 18, 2024

1.3K
Author Spotlight: A Selective Luciferase-Based Assay for Monitoring ATG4B 27 Activity in Cells09:51

Author Spotlight: A Selective Luciferase-Based Assay for Monitoring ATG4B 27 Activity in Cells

Published on: June 30, 2023

1.5K

Related Concept Videos

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...
2.0K
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...
6.2K
Autophagic Cell Death01:18

Autophagic Cell Death

Christian de Duve discovered “autophagy,” a process in which cellular components are engulfed by membrane-bound organelles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes to digest the enclosed contents. Autophagy is generally activated in cells to prevent cell death. However, cell death is triggered when the damage is beyond repair.
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and...
3.3K
Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome01:36

Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome

Eukaryotic cells use different mechanisms to eliminate toxic waste obsolete and worn-out substances. Lysosomes play a pivotal role in this, and hence, these substances are carried to the lysosome from other parts of the cell and extracellular space through different pathways. The most elaborately studied pathways to the lysosome are the endocytic pathways.
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...
7.6K
The Retinoblastoma Gene01:20

The Retinoblastoma Gene

Tumor suppressor genes are normal genes that can slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes, or program the cells for apoptosis in case of irreparable damage. Hence, they play an essential role in preventing the proliferation of damaged cells.
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...
3.7K
Autophagy01:27

Autophagy

Autophagy is a self-digesting process by which a cell protects itself from threats both within and outside the cell, ranging from abnormal proteins to invading bacteria. In this process, obsolete components of the cell and invading microbes are degraded by hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment of the lysosomal lumen.
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
5.0K