EndoG links Bnip3-induced mitochondrial damage and caspase-independent DNA fragmentation in ischemic cardiomyocytes.

Mitochondrial dysfunction, caspase activation and caspase-dependent DNA fragmentation are involved in cell damage in many tissues. However, differentiated cardiomyocytes repress the expression of the canonical apoptotic pathway and their death during ischemia is caspase-independent. The atypical BH3...

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Main Authors: Jisheng Zhang, Junmei Ye, Albert Altafaj, Maria Cardona, Núria Bahi, Marta Llovera, Xavier Cañas, Stuart A Cook, Joan X Comella, Daniel Sanchis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2011-03-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0017998
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author Jisheng Zhang
Junmei Ye
Albert Altafaj
Maria Cardona
Núria Bahi
Marta Llovera
Xavier Cañas
Stuart A Cook
Joan X Comella
Daniel Sanchis
author_facet Jisheng Zhang
Junmei Ye
Albert Altafaj
Maria Cardona
Núria Bahi
Marta Llovera
Xavier Cañas
Stuart A Cook
Joan X Comella
Daniel Sanchis
author_sort Jisheng Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Mitochondrial dysfunction, caspase activation and caspase-dependent DNA fragmentation are involved in cell damage in many tissues. However, differentiated cardiomyocytes repress the expression of the canonical apoptotic pathway and their death during ischemia is caspase-independent. The atypical BH3-only protein Bnip3 is involved in the process leading to caspase-independent DNA fragmentation in cardiomyocytes. However, the pathway by which DNA degradation ensues following Bnip3 activation is not resolved. To identify the mechanism involved, we analyzed the interdependence of Bnip3, Nix and EndoG in mitochondrial damage and DNA fragmentation during experimental ischemia in neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. Our results show that the expression of EndoG and Bnip3 increases in the heart throughout development, while the caspase-dependent machinery is silenced. TUNEL-positive DNA damage, which depends on caspase activity in other cells, is caspase-independent in ischemic cardiomyocytes and ischemia-induced DNA high and low molecular weight fragmentation is blocked by repressing EndoG expression. Ischemia-induced EndoG translocation and DNA degradation are prevented by silencing the expression of Bnip3, but not Nix, or by overexpressing Bcl-x(L). These data establish a link between Bnip3 and EndoG-dependent, TUNEL-positive, DNA fragmentation in ischemic cardiomyocytes in the absence of caspases, defining an alternative cell death pathway in postmitotic cells.
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spelling doaj-art-2c71090ab483452891e46a4ee5bb5b5a2025-08-20T02:08:35ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032011-03-0163e1799810.1371/journal.pone.0017998EndoG links Bnip3-induced mitochondrial damage and caspase-independent DNA fragmentation in ischemic cardiomyocytes.Jisheng ZhangJunmei YeAlbert AltafajMaria CardonaNúria BahiMarta LloveraXavier CañasStuart A CookJoan X ComellaDaniel SanchisMitochondrial dysfunction, caspase activation and caspase-dependent DNA fragmentation are involved in cell damage in many tissues. However, differentiated cardiomyocytes repress the expression of the canonical apoptotic pathway and their death during ischemia is caspase-independent. The atypical BH3-only protein Bnip3 is involved in the process leading to caspase-independent DNA fragmentation in cardiomyocytes. However, the pathway by which DNA degradation ensues following Bnip3 activation is not resolved. To identify the mechanism involved, we analyzed the interdependence of Bnip3, Nix and EndoG in mitochondrial damage and DNA fragmentation during experimental ischemia in neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. Our results show that the expression of EndoG and Bnip3 increases in the heart throughout development, while the caspase-dependent machinery is silenced. TUNEL-positive DNA damage, which depends on caspase activity in other cells, is caspase-independent in ischemic cardiomyocytes and ischemia-induced DNA high and low molecular weight fragmentation is blocked by repressing EndoG expression. Ischemia-induced EndoG translocation and DNA degradation are prevented by silencing the expression of Bnip3, but not Nix, or by overexpressing Bcl-x(L). These data establish a link between Bnip3 and EndoG-dependent, TUNEL-positive, DNA fragmentation in ischemic cardiomyocytes in the absence of caspases, defining an alternative cell death pathway in postmitotic cells.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0017998
spellingShingle Jisheng Zhang
Junmei Ye
Albert Altafaj
Maria Cardona
Núria Bahi
Marta Llovera
Xavier Cañas
Stuart A Cook
Joan X Comella
Daniel Sanchis
EndoG links Bnip3-induced mitochondrial damage and caspase-independent DNA fragmentation in ischemic cardiomyocytes.
PLoS ONE
title EndoG links Bnip3-induced mitochondrial damage and caspase-independent DNA fragmentation in ischemic cardiomyocytes.
title_full EndoG links Bnip3-induced mitochondrial damage and caspase-independent DNA fragmentation in ischemic cardiomyocytes.
title_fullStr EndoG links Bnip3-induced mitochondrial damage and caspase-independent DNA fragmentation in ischemic cardiomyocytes.
title_full_unstemmed EndoG links Bnip3-induced mitochondrial damage and caspase-independent DNA fragmentation in ischemic cardiomyocytes.
title_short EndoG links Bnip3-induced mitochondrial damage and caspase-independent DNA fragmentation in ischemic cardiomyocytes.
title_sort endog links bnip3 induced mitochondrial damage and caspase independent dna fragmentation in ischemic cardiomyocytes
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0017998
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