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Heat-induced programmed cell death in Leishmania infantum is reverted by Bcl-XL expression

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Abstract

An increasing number of reports indicate that single-celled organisms are able to die following what seems to be an ordered program of cell death with strong similarities to apoptosis from higher eukaryotes. DNA degradation and several other apoptotic-like processes have also been described in the parasitic protozoa Leishmania. However, the existence of an apoptotic death in this parasite is still a matter of controversy. Our results indicate that most of the processes of macromolecular degradation and organelle dysfunction observed in mammalian cells during apoptosis can also be reproduced in promastigotes of the genus Leishmania when incubated at temperatures above 38°C. These processes can be partially reversed by the expression of the anti-apoptotic mammalian gene Bcl-XL, which suggests that this family of apoptosis-regulating proteins was present very early in the evolution of eukaryotic cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus Universitario, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    J. F. Alzate & A. Jiménez-Ruiz

  2. Fundación Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain

    A. Álvarez- Barrientos

  3. Departamento de Bioquímica-Investigación, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, 28034, Madrid, Spain

    V. M. González

  4. Departamento de Bioquí-mica y Biología Molecular, Campus Universitario, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    A. Jiménez-Ruiz

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  1. J. F. Alzate
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  2. A. Álvarez- Barrientos
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  3. V. M. González
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  4. A. Jiménez-Ruiz
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Correspondence to A. Jiménez-Ruiz.

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Alzate, J.F., Barrientos, A.Á., González, V.M. et al. Heat-induced programmed cell death in Leishmania infantum is reverted by Bcl-XL expression. Apoptosis 11, 161–171 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10495-006-4570-z

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