Author/Editor		Potokar, Maja; Kreft, Marko; Chowdhury, Helena H; Vardjan, Nina; Zorec, Robert
Title		Subcellular localization of Apaf'1 in apoptotic rat pituitary cells
Type		članek
Source		Am J Physiol, Cell Physiol
Vol. and No.		Letnik 290
Publication year		2006
Volume		str. 672-7
Language		eng
Abstract		A key step in the intrinsic apoptotic pathway is the assembly of the apoptosome complex. The apoptosome components are well known; however, the physiology of the assembly of the apoptosome complex at the cellular level is still poorly defined. The aim of this work was to study the subcellular distribution of the apoptosome scaffold protein apoptotic protease-activating factor 1 (Apaf-1) before and after triggering apoptosis in single somatotrophs. Somatotrophs are the subject of extensive pituitary tissue remodeling in different physiological situations in which the quality and the number of pituitary cells are determined by cell proliferation and apoptosis. We show herein that 2 h after triggering apoptosis with rotenone, Apaf-1 redistributed to the proximity of mitochondria. In addition, the degree of colocalization between Apaf-1 and fluorescently labeled caspase-9 significantly increased during the same period. Furthermore, we show herein for the first time in single cells that the colocalization between Apaf-1 and cytochrome c increases only transiently, indicating a transient iteraction between cytochrome c and Apaf-1 during the activation of apoptosis in these cells.
Descriptors		PITUITARY GLAND ROTENONE APOPTOSIS CYSTEINE PROTEINASES DNA SUBCELLULAR FRACTIONS CELLS, CULTURED RATS IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY MICROSCOPY, CONFOCAL