Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Methods to Assess Beta Cell Death Mediated by Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes
12:12

Methods to Assess Beta Cell Death Mediated by Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes

Published on: June 16, 2011

14.0K

GSK-3β-mediated regulation of cadmium-induced cell death and survival

Seungwoo Kim1, Hyosoon Cheon1, Sam-Moon Kim1

  • 11Division of Brain Diseases, Center for Biomedical Science, National Institute of Health, Center for Disease Control & Prevention, Osong Health Technology Administration Complex, 187, Osongsaengmyeong2-ro, Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju-si, South Korea.

Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters
|March 23, 2018
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Cadmium exposure induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and activates Akt/GSK-3β signaling, which plays a role in neuronal cell survival. This study investigates the specific mechanisms of cadmium-induced neuronal cell death.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • Cadmium (Cd) exposure is known to affect PI3-kinase/Akt phosphorylation and GSK-3β activity.
  • The precise mechanisms of Cd-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in neuronal cells require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the role of GSK-3β in cadmium-induced neuronal cell death.
  • To investigate the downstream signaling pathways involved in Cd toxicity.

Main Methods:

  • SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells were treated with cadmium (Cd) after pre-treatment with BAPTA-AM and wortmannin.
  • Apoptosis was assessed using DAPI and PI staining.
  • Western blotting was used to analyze protein expression and phosphorylation levels of Akt and GSK-3β.

Main Results:

  • Cd treatment induced ER stress, indicated by increased GRP78 expression.
  • Cd significantly increased the phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3β in a time-dependent manner.
  • GSK-3β knockdown exacerbated Cd-induced apoptosis, suggesting a protective role.

Conclusions:

  • The Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway activated by Cd contributes to neuronal cell survival.
  • GSK-3β plays a critical role in modulating neuronal responses to cadmium toxicity.
Keywords:
CadmiumER-stressGSK-3β

More Related Videos

Studying Copper Nanoparticle-Induced Programmed Cell Death in Bacteria08:22

Studying Copper Nanoparticle-Induced Programmed Cell Death in Bacteria

Published on: May 16, 2025

597
Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis12:55

Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis

Published on: February 16, 2015

18.7K

Related Concept Videos

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...
4.6K
Overview of Cell Death01:30

Overview of Cell Death

Cell death is an essential process where the body gets rid of old or damaged cells. Cell proliferation and death need to be balanced, as an imbalance between the two may lead to cancer or autoimmune diseases.
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the...
10.2K
pH Regulation in Cells01:28

pH Regulation in Cells

pH plays a critical role in maintaining normal cellular activities. It helps maintain the structure and function of various proteins, dictates the charge on cellular membranes, and is crucial for metabolic reactions inside the cell. Moreover, cells use the energy from the proton motive force to generate ATP.
Cytosolic pH
Under physiological conditions, the cytosolic pH is slightly more acidic than the extracellular pH. However, cells must prevent further acidification of their cytosol to...
7.8K
Regulated Protein Degradation02:58

Regulated Protein Degradation

It is vital to regulate the activity of enzymatic as well as non-enzymatic proteins inside the cell. This can be achieved either through creating a balance between their rate of synthesis and degradation or regulating the intrinsic activity of the protein. Both these regulation mechanisms play an essential role in the normal functioning of cells.
Protein degradation plays two important roles in the cells. It helps to protect cells from misfolded or damaged proteins before they lead to a...
8.9K
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.
38.6K
Survival Curves01:18

Survival Curves

Survival curves are graphical representations that depict the survival experience of a population over time, offering an intuitive way to track the proportion of individuals who remain event-free at each time point. These curves are widely used in fields such as medicine, public health, and reliability engineering to visualize and compare survival probabilities across different groups or conditions.
The Kaplan-Meier estimator is the most common method for constructing survival curves. This...
732