Interactions of the BcI-2 protein with itself and other members of the Bcl-2 family, including Bcl-X-L, Bcl-X-S, Mci-i, and Bax, were explored with a yeast twohybrid system. Fusion proteins were created by linking BcI-2 family proteins to a LexA DNA-binding domain or a B42 trans-activation domain. Protein-protein interactions were examined by expression of these fusion proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae having a lacZ ((-galactosidase) gene under control of a LexA-dependent operator. This approach gave evidence for Bcl-2 protein homodimerization. Bcl-2 also interacted with Bcl-X-L and Mcl-i and with the dominant inhibitors Bax and Bcl-X-S. Bd-X-L displayed the same pattern of combinatorial interactions with Bd-2 family proteins as Bc1-2. Use of deletion mutants of Bc-2 suggested that BcI-2 homodimerization involves interactions between two distinct regions within the Bcl-2 protein, since a LexA protein containing Bcl-2 amino acids 83-218 mediated functional interactions with a B42 fusion protein contaiing Bcl-2 amino acids 1-81 but did not complement a B42 fusion protein containing BcI-2 amino acids 83-218. In contrast to LexA/Bcl-2 fusion proteins, expression of a LexA/Bax protein was lethal to yeast. This cytotoxicity could be abrogated by B42 fusion proteins containing BcI-2, Bcl-X-L, or Mci-i but not those containing Bcl-X-S (an alternatively spliced form of Bcl-X that lacks a well-conserved 63-amino acid region). The findings suggest a model whereby Bax and Bcl-X-S differentially regulate Bcd-2 function, and indicate that requirements for Bcl-2/Bax heterodimerization may be different from those for Bcl-2/Bcl-2 homodimerization.The bcl-2 gene becomes dysregulated in a wide variety of human cancers and contributes to neoplastic cell expansion by prolonging cell survival rather than by accelerating rates of cellular proliferation. Specifically, bcl-2 blocks programmed cell death, a physiological process that normally ensures a homeostatic balance between cell production and cell turnover in most tissues with self-renewal capacity and which often involves characteristic changes in cell morphology termed apoptosis. In fact, Bc1-2 can prevent or delay apoptosis induced by a wide variety of stimuli, including growth factor deprivation, alterations in Ca2+, free radicals, cytotoxic lymphokines, some types of viruses, radiation, and most chemotherapeutic drugs, suggesting that this oncoprotein controls a common final pathway involved in cell death regulation (reviewed in refs. 1 and 2).The mechanism by which Bcl-2 prevents cell death remains enigmatic, as the predicted amino acid sequence of the 26-kDa human Bcl-2 protein (239 aa) has no significant homology with other proteins whose biochemical activity is known. Recently, however, Bcl-2 has been shown to interact with a low molecular weight GTPase member of the Ras family, p23-R-Ras (3), and also can be coimmunoprecipitated with the serine/threonine-specific protein kinase Raf-1 (4). Thus, Bcl-2 may somehow regulate a signal transduction pathway involving...

The BCL-2 gene was first discovered because of its involvement in the t(14;18) chromosomal translocations commonly found in lymphomas, which result in deregulation of BCL-2 gene expression and cause inappropriately high levels of Bcl-2 protein production. Expression of the BCL-2 gene can also become altered in human cancers through other mechanisms, including loss of the p53 tumor suppressor which normally functions as a repressor of BCL-2 gene expression in some tissues. Bcl-2 is a blocker of programmed cell death and apoptosis that contributes to neoplastic cell expansion by preventing cell turnover caused by physiological cell death mechanisms, as opposed to accelerating rates of cell division. Overproduction of the Bcl-2 protein also prevents cell death induced by nearly all cytotoxic anticancer drugs and radiation, thus contributing to treatment failures in patients with some types of cancer. Several homologs of Bcl-2 have recently been discovered, some of which function as inhibitors of cell death and others as promoters of apoptosis that oppose the actions of the Bcl-2 protein. Many of these Bcl-2 family proteins can interact through formation of homo- and heterotypic dimers. In addition, several nonhomologous proteins have been identified that bind to Bcl-2 and that can modulate apoptosis. These protein-protein interactions may eventual serve as targets for pharmacologically manipulating the physiological cell death pathway for treatment of cancer and several other diseases.

The Bcl-2 protein is a suppressor of programmed cell death that homodimerizes with itself and forms heterodimers with a homologous protein Bax, a promoter of cell death. Expression of Bax in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a membrane-bound fusion protein results in a lethal phenotype that is suppressible by co-expression of Bcl-2. Functional analysis of deletion mutants of human Bcl-2 in yeast demonstrated the presence of at least three conserved domains that are required to suppress Bax-mediated cytotoxicity, termed domains A (amino acids 11-33), B (amino acids 138-154), and C (amino acids 188-196). In vitro binding experiments using GST-Bcl-2 fusion proteins demonstrated that Bcl-2(delta B) and Bcl-2(delta C) deletion mutants had a markedly impaired ability to heterodimerize with Bax but retained the ability to homodimerize with wild-type Bcl-2. In contrast, Bcl-2(delta A) and an NH2-terminal deletion mutant Bcl-2(delta 1-82) retained Bax binding activity in vitro but failed to suppress Bax-mediated cytotoxicity in yeast. Sequences downstream of domain C in the region 197-218 also were shown to be required for Bax-binding in vitro and anti-death function in yeast. Analysis of Bcl-2/Bcl-2 homodimerization using both in vitro binding assays as well as a yeast two-hybrid method provided evidence in support of a head-to-tail model for Bcl-2/Bcl-2 homodimerization and revealed that sequences within the NH2-terminal A domain interact with a structure that requires the presence of both the carboxyl B and C domains in combination. In addition to further delineating structural features within Bcl-2 that are required for homo-dimerization, the findings reported here support the hypothesis that Bcl-2 promotes cell survival by binding directly to Bax but suggest that ability to bind Bax can be insufficient for anti-cell death function.

The bcl-2 gene becomes transcriptionally deregulated in the majority of low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphomas as a result of t(14;18) translocations that place the bcl-2 gene at 18q21 into juxtaposition with the Ig heavy- chain locus at 14q32. This chromosomal translocation or similar bcl-2 gene rearrangements involving the Ig light-chain genes have been reported to occur in some cases of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). We analyzed the structure, methylation, and expression of the bcl-2 gene in 20 cases of B-CLL or closely related variants of this lymphoproliferative disorder, including at least 16 typical examples of CD5+ B-CLL. None of the 20 specimens had evidence of bcl-2 gene rearrangements, based on Southern blot analysis using three different bcl-2 probes. However, immunoblot analysis using antibodies specific for the Bcl-2 protein showed that 14 of 20 cases (70%) contained levels of p26-Bcl-2 that were equal to or greater than those found in a t(14;18)-bearing lymphoma cell line. Furthermore, in 19 of 20 cases (95%), the Bcl-2 protein was present at levels that were 1.7- to 25- fold higher than in normal peripheral blood lymphocytes. These differences in the relative levels of Bcl-2 protein among cases of B- CLL appeared to be functionally significant, in that a preliminary analysis of 3 representative cases showed that CLL cells with higher levels of Bcl-2 protein survived longer in culture and were delayed in their onset of DNA degradation relative to CLL cells with lower Bcl-2 protein levels. Evaluation of the methylation status of the bcl-2 gene using the isoschizomers Msp I and Hpa II, and a probe corresponding to the first major exon of the gene showed complete demethylation of both copies of the bcl-2 gene in a region corresponding to a 2.4-kb Msp I fragment in all 20 cases of B-CLL. In contrast, analysis of 6 of 6 B- cell lines that harbor a t(14;18) was consistent with hypomethylation of only one of the two bcl-2 alleles. Neither copy of the bcl-2 gene was demethylated in this region in 5 of 5 lymphoid cell lines that lack this translocation. However, hypomethylation of the bcl-2 gene did not necessarily correlate with the relative levels of Bcl-2 protein present in the B-CLL cells, suggesting that additional mechanisms for regulating bcl-2 expression are involved.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The BCL-2 gene was first discovered because of its involvement in the t(14;18) chromosomal translocations commonly found in lymphomas, which result in deregulation of BCL-2 gene expression and cause inappropriately high levels of Bcl-2 protein production. Expression of the BCL-2 gene can also become altered in human cancers through other mechanisms, including loss of the p53 tumor suppressor which normally functions as a repressor of BCL-2 gene expression in some tissues. Bcl-2 is a blocker of programmed cell death and apoptosis that contributes to neoplastic cell expansion by preventing cell turnover caused by physiological cell death mechanisms, as opposed to accelerating rates of cell division. Overproduction of the Bcl-2 protein also prevents cell death induced by nearly all cytotoxic anticancer drugs and radiation, thus contributing to treatment failures in patients with some types of cancer. Several homologs of Bcl-2 have recently been discovered, some of which function as inhibitors of cell death and others as promoters of apoptosis that oppose the actions of the Bcl-2 protein. Many of these Bcl-2 family proteins can interact through formation of homo- and heterotypic dimers. In addition, several nonhomologous proteins have been identified that bind to Bcl-2 and that can modulate apoptosis. These protein-protein interactions may eventual serve as targets for pharmacologically manipulating the physiological cell death pathway for treatment of cancer and several other diseases.

The bcl-2 gene becomes transcriptionally deregulated in the majority of low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphomas as a result of t(14;18) translocations that place the bcl-2 gene at 18q21 into juxtaposition with the Ig heavy- chain locus at 14q32. This chromosomal translocation or similar bcl-2 gene rearrangements involving the Ig light-chain genes have been reported to occur in some cases of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). We analyzed the structure, methylation, and expression of the bcl-2 gene in 20 cases of B-CLL or closely related variants of this lymphoproliferative disorder, including at least 16 typical examples of CD5+ B-CLL. None of the 20 specimens had evidence of bcl-2 gene rearrangements, based on Southern blot analysis using three different bcl-2 probes. However, immunoblot analysis using antibodies specific for the Bcl-2 protein showed that 14 of 20 cases (70%) contained levels of p26-Bcl-2 that were equal to or greater than those found in a t(14;18)-bearing lymphoma cell line. Furthermore, in 19 of 20 cases (95%), the Bcl-2 protein was present at levels that were 1.7- to 25- fold higher than in normal peripheral blood lymphocytes. These differences in the relative levels of Bcl-2 protein among cases of B- CLL appeared to be functionally significant, in that a preliminary analysis of 3 representative cases showed that CLL cells with higher levels of Bcl-2 protein survived longer in culture and were delayed in their onset of DNA degradation relative to CLL cells with lower Bcl-2 protein levels. Evaluation of the methylation status of the bcl-2 gene using the isoschizomers Msp I and Hpa II, and a probe corresponding to the first major exon of the gene showed complete demethylation of both copies of the bcl-2 gene in a region corresponding to a 2.4-kb Msp I fragment in all 20 cases of B-CLL. In contrast, analysis of 6 of 6 B- cell lines that harbor a t(14;18) was consistent with hypomethylation of only one of the two bcl-2 alleles. Neither copy of the bcl-2 gene was demethylated in this region in 5 of 5 lymphoid cell lines that lack this translocation. However, hypomethylation of the bcl-2 gene did not necessarily correlate with the relative levels of Bcl-2 protein present in the B-CLL cells, suggesting that additional mechanisms for regulating bcl-2 expression are involved.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The present study was designed to evaluate the chemotherapy-induced cellular immunosuppression in 20 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in remission and receiving maintenance chemotherapy. Peripheral blood was serially obtained from leukemic children during vincristine/cyclophosphamide/6-mercaptopurine/prednisone combined consolidation chemotherapy. The mean absolute number of peripheral blood lymphocytes as well as the mean absolute numbers of lymphocyte subsets (T cells, T cell subsets, B cells, and natural killer cells) from leukemic children before consolidation chemotherapy were all significantly lower than in control subjects; however, the percentages of lymphocyte subsets were similar in both groups. After consolidation chemotherapy, the percentages of CD4+ T lymphocytes and natural killer (NK) cells were significantly decreased and the percentages of monocytes and CD8+ T lymphocytes were significantly increased. Phytohemagglutinin- and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and NK-cell-mediated cytotoxic activity by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were also substantially decreased in the post-therapy groups. NK activity correlated with the percentage of NK cells in PBMC. In contrast, OK432-induced production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and killer activity against NK-resistant target cells were significantly increased after therapy as compared with the pre-therapy and control groups. TNF alpha production correlated with the percentage of monocytes in PBMC. These results demonstrate that substantial quantitative and qualitative chemotherapy-induced abnormalities of the cellular immune system are present in the majority of patients treated with ALL. It is also suggested that the increased TNF alpha production by monocytes and the appearance of potent killing activity against NK-resistant targets might compensate for the defects of IL-2 production and NK activity during intensive consolidation chemotherapy.

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