Award Date
1-1-2000
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Chemistry
First Committee Member
Stephen W. Carper
Number of Pages
42
Abstract
Cells may die via a programmed cell death called apoptosis. Apoptosis can be triggered by many death signals, some of which cause cytochrome c to be released from the mitochondria initiating the caspase cascade. When there is an over-expression of Heat Shock Protein 27 (HSP27), the cell does not obey the death signals that it receives. In this study, the molecular mechanism for the HSP 27 inhibition of the caspase cascade is described in human breast cancer cells that were engineered to constitutively express HSP 27. HSP 27 directly bound to cytochrome c and inhibited the activation of caspase 9 and caspase 3. In the presence of an excess amount of cytochrome c, the caspase cascade was reactivated. Granzyme B activated caspase 3 even in the presence of HSP 27. This suggests the conclusion that HSP 27 is a novel inhibitor of apoptosis by binding to cytochrome c.
Keywords
Breast; Cancer; Cascade; Caspase; Cells; Heat; Human; Inhibition; Protein; Shock
Controlled Subject
Biochemistry; Cellular biology; Oncology
File Format
File Size
1136.64 KB
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Permissions
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Repository Citation
Stafford, Lewis Joe, "Heat shock protein 27 inhibition of the caspase cascade in human breast cancer cells" (2000). UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations. 1174.
http://dx.doi.org/10.25669/497u-icis
Rights
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