Prostate Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Prostate Cancer, including details on symptoms, genetics, screening, treatment, information.

Nuclear interaction of Smac/DIABLO with Survivin at G2/M arrest prompts docetaxel-induced apoptosis in DU145 prostate cancer cells.

Kim JY, Chung JY, Lee SG, Kim YJ, Park JE, Yoo KS, Yoo YH, Park YC, Kim BG, Kim JM

Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan 602-714, Republic of Korea.

Smac/DIABLO is released by mitochondria in response to apoptotic stimuli and is thought to antagonize the function of inhibitors of apoptosis proteins. Recently, it has been shown that, like XIAP, Survivin can potentially interact with Smac/DIABLO. However, the precise mechanisms and cellular location of their action have not been determined. We report for the first time that Smac/DIABLO translocates to the nucleus and is colocalized with Survivin at mitotic spindles during apoptosis resulting from G2/M arrest due to docetaxel treatment of DU145 prostate cancer cells. Our data demonstrate that the nuclear interaction of Smac/DIABLO with Survivin is an important step for suppressing the anti-apoptotic function of Survivin in Doc-induced apoptosis. This suggests that the balance between cellular Smac/DIABLO and Survivin levels could be critical for cellular destiny in taxane-treated cancer cells.

Published 23 October 2006 in Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 350(4): 949-54.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Prostate Cancer Research Today. All Rights Reserved.