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Mechanism of apoptosis induced by zinc deficiency in peripheral blood T lymphocytes

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Abstract

Alterations in intracellular Zn2+ concentrations are believed to play a crucial role in modulating apoptosis. The observation that Zn2+ deficiency can induce cell death both in vivo and in vitro has been attributed to the fact that exchange of Zn2+ for Ca2+ and Mg2+ within the nuclei may directly activate endogenous endonucleases therefore inducing DNA fragmentation independent of cytoplasmic factors. Here we show that the membrane-permeable zinc chelator, N,N′,N′-tetrakis(2-pyridylmethyl) ethylenediamine (TPEN) induces translocation of cytochrome c from the mitochondrial intramembranous space into the cytosol in human peripheral blood T lymphocytes (PBL) with subsequent activation of caspases-3, -8, and -9. Pretreatment of T lymphocytes with caspase inhibitors Z-VAD.fmk or DEVD.fmk prevented DNA fragmentation in response to TPEN indicating that apoptosis triggered by zinc deficiency is entirely dependent on activation of caspase family members. The release of cytochrome c and activation of downstream caspases precedes changes in the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Δ Ψm). Therefore, cytoplasmic and mitochondrial events are critical to this process.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, USA

    V. M. Kolenko, R. G. Uzzo, R. Bukowski & J. H. Finke

  2. Experimental Therapeutics Program, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, USA

    V. M. Kolenko, R. Bukowski & J. H. Finke

  3. Department of Urology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, USA

    R. G. Uzzo & J. H. Finke

  4. Department of Pharmacology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    N. Dulin

  5. Boston Biomedical Research Institute, Watertown, MA, 02472, USA

    E. Hauzman

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  1. V. M. Kolenko
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Kolenko, V.M., Uzzo, R.G., Dulin, N. et al. Mechanism of apoptosis induced by zinc deficiency in peripheral blood T lymphocytes. Apoptosis 6, 419–429 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012497926537

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