Abstract
Disturbed blood flow induces apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells, which causes atherosclerosis. In this issue, Heo et al. (2011. J. Cell Biol. doi:10.1083/jcb.201010051) sheds light on p53's role in this phenomenon. Disturbed flow induces peroxynitrite production, which activates protein kinase C ζ and it's binding to the E3 SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) ligase PIASy (protein inhibitor of activated STATy). This leads to p53 SUMOylation and its export to the cytosol, where it binds to the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 to induce apoptosis.
Publication types
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Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Comment
MeSH terms
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Apoptosis
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Cytosol / metabolism
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Endothelial Cells / metabolism*
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Endothelial Cells / pathology
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Humans
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Peroxynitrous Acid / biosynthesis
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Peroxynitrous Acid / metabolism
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Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins
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Protein Inhibitors of Activated STAT / metabolism
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Protein Kinase C / metabolism
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Protein Transport
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism
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Regional Blood Flow*
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Sumoylation*
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Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism*
Substances
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PIAS4 protein, human
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Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins
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Protein Inhibitors of Activated STAT
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
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Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
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Peroxynitrous Acid
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protein kinase C zeta
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Protein Kinase C