Biology Commons^™

Branching Into Rnai: Synthesis, Characterization And Biology Of Branch And Hyperbranch Sirnas, Anthony Muriithi Maina

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The cancer epidemic continues to afflict millions of humans world-wide each year and despite a renewed hope with the development of new and improved forms of therapy, a cure for cancer remains an elusive goal. This is partly related to the rise of resilient forms of tumors that have evolved with resistance towards conventional chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Moreover, these non-specific therapeutic regimens are highly toxic, leading to severe immunosuppressive effects which poisons the body and compromises the road towards remission. In an effort to mitigate these limitations, cancer-targeting approaches are currently experiencing a renaissance in the translation of new …

Identification Of Novel Natural Compounds With Anti-Breast Cancer Activities, Yusra Saif Al Dhaheri

Dissertations

Breast cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide. In this dissertation, natural compounds with anti-breast cancer activities were identified. We investigated the effect of Salinomycin, a potassium ionophore isolated from Streptomyces albus, on the survival of three human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, T47D and MDA-MB-231. High concentrations of Salinomycin induced a G2 arrest, down regulation of survivin and triggered apoptosis. Interestingly, treatments with low concentrations of Salinomycin induced a transient G1 arrest at an earlier time and G2 arrest and senescence, associated with enlarged cell morphology, at a later time. There was also …

Nanoparticle Exposure Activates An Inositol Triphosphate Receptor-Dependent Elevation Of Reactive Oxygen Species And Apoptosis In Human Alveolar Lung Cells, Briana Manes, Sarah Alvarado

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

The signaling of cell stress in response to organelle dysfunction, toxin exposure, and mutation is complex; generating responses that can include adaptation, or in severe cases, cellular apoptosis. Nanoparticles (20-100 nm diameter) have been shown to induce cell stress in lung cells, potentially identifying a cause of lung disease in areas with high levels of particulate-based air pollution. This study examines the effect of carbon black (CB) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles on stress signaling and apoptosis in cultured A549 human alveolar epithelial cells. CB and TiO2 powders were dispersed throughout a buffered solution containing bovine serum albumin using probe …

Studies On Theraputic Potential Of Dichloroacetic Acid And Hene Laser In Cancer Treatment: Understanding The Mechanism Of Action, Zeiyad Nassaif Al-Karakooly

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer cells are often characterized by anaerobic glycolysis due to dysfunctional mitochondria that limits pyruvate uptake for aerobic respiration. Dichloroacetic acid (DCA), used in this study as a potential cancer treatment agent, targets mitochondria in cancer cells and is likely to correct mitochondrial dysfunction by resuming pyruvate uptake and therefore normal aerobic respiration. Our results suggest that DCA causes a significantly higher cytotoxicity in aggressive MCF-7 breast cancer cells than in non-aggressive MC3T3 osteoblastic cells. Apparently lower doses of DCA induce apoptosis whereas higher doses lead to non-specific cytotoxicity or necrosis. Increased cytotoxicity might be related to oxidative stress due …

Downregulation Of C-Myc Mediated Odc Expression After Purvalanol Treatment Is Under Control Of Upstream Mapk Signaling Axis In Mcf-7 Breast Cancer Cells, Pinar Obakan, Gi̇zem Alkurt, Betsi̇ Köse, Ajda Çoker Gürkan, Eli̇f Damla Arisan, Deni̇z Coşkun, Zeynep Narçi̇n Ünsal

Turkish Journal of Biology

Roscovitine and purvalanol are specific cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, which induce apoptosis by triggering cell cycle arrest in various cancer cells such as colon, prostate, and breast cancer cells. Although the apoptotic action of roscovitine was clarified at the molecular level, the exact mechanism of purvalanol-induced apoptosis is still under investigation. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade is activated by different inducers related to growth, proliferation, differentiation processes, or environmental stress factors. Recent reports showed that modulation of MAPKs might lead to regulation of c-Myc, which is a transcription factor for the polyamine (PA) biosynthesis enzyme, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). …

Cytotoxic And Apoptotic Effects Of Ceranib-2 Offering Potential For A New Antineoplastic Agent In The Treatment Of Cancer Cells, Djanan Vejselova, Hati̇ce Mehtap Kutlu, Gökhan Kuş, Selda Kabadere, Ruhi̇ Uyar

Turkish Journal of Biology

Fibrocarcinomas are malignant tumours that originate in mesenchymal cells. The tumours typically form in the presence of connective tissue and are of key consideration when assessing research priorities for future healthcare management. Ceramidase inhibitors, such as ceranib-2, have demonstrated capacity to interfere with cellular DNA functionality, initiating apoptosis in many cancer cell lines. The enzyme ceramidase can regulate cellular levels of sphingosine and sphingosine-1-phosphate by controlling hydrolysis of ceramide. The present study investigates the antigrowth effects of ceranib-2 on mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (NIH/3T3 normal cell line) and rat embryonic fibroblast cells (5RP7 cancer cell line). Research was conducted using …

Calpain 5: A Non-Classical Calpain Highly Expressed In The Cns And Localized To Mitochondria And Nuclear Pml Bodies, Ranjana Singh

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Calpain 5 (CAPN5) is a non-classical member of the calpain family. It lacks the EF-hand motif characteristic of the classical calpains, calpain 1 and 2, but retains catalytic and Ca²⁺ binding non EF domains. Tra-3, an ortholog of CAPN5, is involved in necrotic cell death in C.elegans; although specific role of CAPN5 has not been investigated in the mammalian CNS. I compared relative mRNA levels of calpains in rat CNS, which revealed that CAPN5 is the second most highly expressed calpain. We examined relative levels of CAPN5 from late embryonic day 18 to postnatal day 90 and …

Analysis Of “Bimbam”, A Novel Glucocorticoid-Induced Bh3-Only Transcript In Cell Lines And Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Muhammad Mansha, Muhammad Wasim, Ali Raza Awan, Asma Abdul Latif

Turkish Journal of Biology

Glucocorticoids (GCs) induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in lymphoid cells and are fundamental components of therapeutic regimens of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We previously identified a panel of GC-induced candidate genes in children with ALL and in other biological systems using whole genome expression profiling. Of those, a novel transcript from the BCL2L11/Bim locus, named \"Bimbam\", was functionally analyzed in the current study. The postulated Bimbam mRNA consists of the 5' portion of Bim including the BH3-containing exon 8 and the 3' portion of Bam, a small 2-exon gene embedded in the BCL2L11/Bim locus. The expression and GC induction …

Induction Of Apoptosis In The Cervical Cancer Cell Line Hela By A Novel Metabolite Extracted From The Fungus Aspergillus Japonicus Saito, Apoorva Prabhu, Prerana Venkat, Bharath Gajaraj, Varalakshmi Kilingar Nadumane

Turkish Journal of Biology

Natural bioactive compounds have been found superior to chemical compounds for use in pharmaceutical applications. Such natural compounds include biologically active compounds present as a part of fungal metabolism that originate through different biochemical pathways and contain different structural groups like benzopyranones, phenols, toxins, and steroids. One such novel compound is a secondary metabolite extracted from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus japonicus Saito. The compound exhibited anticancer properties and was found to be harmless to normal human lymphocytes. The metabolites were separated by thin layer chromatography and screened for their cytotoxic potential through 3-(4,5-dimethythiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay in the cervical cancer …

Anticancer Activities And Mechanism Of Action Of 2 Novel Metal Complexes, C_{16}H_{34}N_{8}O_{5}Ag_{2}Cd And C_{11}H_{16}N_{7}O_{2}Ag_{3}Ni, Ali̇ Aydin, Nesri̇n Korkmaz, Şaban Teki̇n, Ahmet Karadağ

Turkish Journal of Biology

The discovery of anticancer activity in cisplatin triggered the development of novel drugs containing metals such as platinum or ruthenium. Extremely diverse structural chemistry and the interaction of metal complexes with biomolecules resulted in the exploration of novel metal complexes with drug potential. In the present study, the anticancer and cytotoxic activities and the mechanisms of action were investigated for C_{16}H_{34}N_{8}O_{5}Ag_{2}Cd (AN1) and C_{11}H_{16}N_{7}O_{2}Ag_{3}Ni (AN7), 2 newly synthesized dicyanidoargentate(I) complexes. The anticancer and cytotoxic activities of AN1 and AN7 on several cancer cell lines were tested by cell proliferation and cytotoxic activity assays, respectively. The apoptotic and replication inhibitory potentials …

Genotoxic, Cytotoxic, And Apoptotic Effects Of Crude Extract Of Usnea Filipendula Stirt. In Vitro, Serap Çeli̇kler Kasimoğullari, Seyhan Oran, Ferda Ari, Engi̇n Ulukaya, Nazlihan Aztopal, Mehmet Sarimahmut, Şule Öztürk

Turkish Journal of Biology

Lichens are recently receiving great attention because they have potential anticancer activity. Therefore, in this study, genotoxic and antigrowth properties of lichen species Usnea filipendula Stirt. were tested against human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). Antigrowth effect was assayed by the MTT and ATP viability assays. Cell death modes (apoptosis/necrosis) were evaluated morphologically (fluorescence staining) and biochemically (caspase-cleaved cytokeratin 18, caspase-3 activity, and poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage). Genotoxic activity of U. filipendula was determined by using micronucleus, chromosomal aberration, and comet assays in human lymphocyte culture. U. filipendula inhibited growth in a dose-dependent manner and induced apoptosis by …

Apoptotic And Epigenetic Induction Of Embryo Failure Following Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer, Aaron Patrick Davis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The cloning of domestic species has tremendous potential, as the technology can be used in selective breeding, conservation, and the production of transgenic animals. The technique of cloning involves the transplant of DNA from a cell to a recipient gamete. Following transfer to a surrogate, the cloned embryo may successfully complete development to a live offspring. Despite intensive research, the success rate of cloning remains prohibitively low, and the potential benefits of cloning have not yet been realized. Embryos produced from cloning suffer from high rates of embryo degradation, implantation failure, and abortion. The goal of this dissertation research project …

Targeting The Anaphase Promoting Complex/Cyclosome To Induce Mitotic Arrest In Ovarian Cancer., Douglas John Saforo

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Taxanes are a class of chemotherapeutic drug that act to disrupt microtubule function and cause mitotic arrest and cell death. These drugs are commonly used for cancer treatment, however their effectiveness is dependent on the presence of a functioning spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC). As a result, it is possible for cancer cells to become resistant to microtubule disrupting drugs by inactivating the SAC. The anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that acts as the master regulator of cell cycle progression. Inhibition of the APC/C should result in disruption of the cell cycle, resulting in arrest during mitosis …

Article Navigation Wild-Type Measles Virus Infection Upregulates Poliovirus Receptor-Related 4 And Causes Apoptosis In Brain Endothelial Cells By Induction Of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Related Apoptosis-Lnducing Ligand, Haniah Abdullah, Brenda B. Brankin, Clare Brady, Sara Louise Cosby

Articles

Small numbers of brain endothelial cells (BECs) are infected in children with neurologic complications of measles virus (MV) infection. This may provide a mechanism for virus entry into the central nervous system, but the mechanisms are unclear. Both in vitro culture systems and animal models are required to elucidate events in the endothelium. We compared the ability of wild-type (WT), vaccine, and rodent-adapted MV strains to infect, replicate, and induce apoptosis in human and murine brain endothelial cells (HBECs and MBECs, respectively). Mice also were infected intracerebrally. All MV stains productively infected HBECs and induced the MV receptor PVRL4. Efficient …

Silver Nanoparticles: Cytotoxic, Apoptotic, And Necrotic Effects On Mcf-7 Cells, Hakan Çi̇ftçi̇, Mustafa Türk, Uğur Tamer, Si̇yami̇ Karahan, Yusuf Menemen

Turkish Journal of Biology

The present study was conducted to examine cytotoxic, apoptotic, and necrotic effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on MCF-7 cells. Colloidal AgNPs were fabricated in an alkaline pH environment via reduction of silver nitrate with hydroxylamine hydrochloride. The size of AgNPs was measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering. Zeta potential of AgNPs was determined by laser Doppler microelectrophoresis. After exposing MCF-7 cells to AgNPs for 24 h, cytotoxicity was measured by WST-1 assay. Apoptosis and necrosis in MCF-7 cells were detected by Annexin-V-FLUOS immunostaining and double staining of Hoechst dye with propidium iodide. …

Treatment Of Aortic Heart Valve Conduit With Glutamine And Heat Shock As A Means To Deter The Constituent Cellular Population From Becoming Apoptotic, Alyce Marie Linthurst Jones

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Cryopreserved allograft heart valves represent the best solution for a patient with a failing heart valve. However, the constituent cells become apoptotic and within months of transplant the heart valve becomes acellular and the recipient's cells do not repopulate the allograft (3, 51). A strategy to prevent this situation would be to minimize or prevent apoptosis from occurring by strategically altering steps during heart valve processing. Recently it has been demonstrated that: 1) Heat shock protein 70 is a negative modulator of the apoptotic cascade; 2) Cells in culture exposed to hypothermic conditions produce heat shock protein 70 upon rewarming; …

Nutraceutical Antioxidants And Their Therapeutic Potential In Neurodegeneration, Erika Kristine Ross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neuromuscular disease that affects motor neurons of the brain and spinal cord. Many studies indicate that mitochondrial oxidative stress (MOS) is a principal mechanism underlying the pathophysiology of this and other devastating neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we investigated a unique whey protein supplement (Immunocal®) to determine its neuroprotective efficacy in several in vitro models of MOS and in an in vivo mouse model of ALS. This non-denatured whey supplement contains cystine which is an oxidized form of cysteine, an essential precursor for synthesis of the endogenous antioxidant, glutathione (GSH). In primary cultured rat cerebellar …

Consumption Of High Ω-3 Fatty Acid Diet Suppressed Prostate Tumorigenesis In C3(1) Tag Mice, Juliana A. Akinsete, Gabriela Ion, Theodore R. Witte, W. Elaine Hardman

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Prostate cancer incidence and mortality are high in the Western world and high ω-6/ω-3 PUFA in the Western diet may be a contributing factor. We investigated whether changing from a diet that approximates ω-6 fat content of the Western diet to a high ω-3 fat diet at adulthood might reduce prostate cancer risk. Female SV 129 mice that had consumed a high ω-6 diet containing corn oil for 2 weeks were bred with homozygous C3(1)Tag transgenic male mice. All male offspring were weaned to the corn oil diet (CO) until postpuberty when half of the male offspring were transferred to …

The Role Of Bcl-2 Family In Clinical Response Of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Sayer Rashed Alharbi

ETD Archive

The anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins regulate lymphocyte survival and are over-expressed in lymphoid malignancies, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The small molecule inhibitor ABT-737 binds with high affinity to Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, and Bcl-w but with low affinity to Mcl-1, Bfl-1, and Bcl-b. The active analog of ABT-737, navitoclax, has shown a high therapeutic index in lymphoid malignancies developing a predictive marker for it would be clinically valuable for patient selection or choice of drug combinations. We compared expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 genes that are known to be targeted by ABT-737. Our findings reveal that the relative ratio of Mcl-1 and Bfl-1 …

The Role Of Pkr In Transducing The Ribotoxic Stress Response Elicited By Ricin, Lauren Rose-Boehnlein

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ribotoxins such as ricin and T-2 toxin bind to ribosomes and trigger cleavage of 28S rRNA and inhibition of protein synthesis. Upon detection of ribosomal alterations, the cell initiates a ribotoxic stress response (RSR), resulting in activation of the stress-activated protein kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase (SAPK/MAPK) signaling cascade, upregulated expression of both pro-and anti-apoptotic stress-inducible genes, increased secretion of inflammatory cytokines, and ultimately culminating in apoptosis. While it is not immediately clear the exact mechanism by which ribosomes induce the RSR, nor the exact cellular components involved upstream of MAPK activation, it has recently been proposed, in the case …

Identification Of Epitopes On Ricin Toxin's Enzymatic Subunit (Rta) Critical For Eliciting Neutralizing Antibodies And Protective Immunity, Joanne Marie O'Hara

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ricin toxin's enzymatic subunit (RTA) is a 267 amino acid RNA N-glycosidase that selectively depurinates eukaryotic ribosomal RNA and arrests protein synthesis. The crystal structure of RTA revealed that the protein assumes three distinct folding domains (FD). Residues within FD1 and FD2 form RTA's active site pocket and are proposed to interface with ribosomal proteins, while FD3's primary function is to associate with ricin's B subunit (RTB). In this study I sought to identify the regions of RTA that are important in eliciting toxin-neutralizing antibodies (TNA), as this information is critical for current efforts to develop RTA-based subunit vaccines. I …

Study Of Ph And Cellular Response In Pulmonary Fibroblasts After Exposure To Market Street World Trade Center Particulate Matter, Michelle Hernandez, Sung Choi, Ann Marie Dilorenzo

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Chronic health conditions have been noted among first responders and residents exposed to the dust generated from the World Trade Center (WTC) collapse on September 11, 2001. This study sought to isolate a single factor thought to play a substantial role in the decreased lung function of World Trade Center (WTC) workers and victims. Human pulmonary fibroblasts were exposed to 0 (control), 2.5, 25, 250 mg mL-1 WTC dust at 5% CO2 and 10% CO2 to test the hypothesis that cellular toxicity is attributed to the high pH (9.3) of the WTC dust. A decrease in viability, increase in toxicity, …

The Role Of The Nascent Polypeptide-Associated Complex In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Paul T. Arsenovic

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC) is a highly conserved protein complex known to play an important role in the development of metazoan organisms, but its molecular function is not well understood. Recent evidence from experiments using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as model supported the hypothesis that the NAC is either a chaperone or a component of the cytosolic chaperone network that interacts with nascent peptides emerging from the ribosome. We tested this model in C. elegans and found that the homologues of the NAC , icd-1 and icd-2, behave like chaperones in the worm. Lack of icd-1 or icd-2 altered the worms …

Downregulation Of Pax2 Suppresses Ovarian Cancer Cell Growth, Huijuan Song

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

PAX2 is one of nine PAX genes regulating tissue development and cellular differentiation in embryos. PAX2 promotes cell proliferation, oncogenic transformation, cell-lineage specification, migration, and survival. Unattenuated PAX2 has been found in several cancer types. We therefore sought to elucidate the role of PAX2 in ovarian carcinomas. We found that PAX2 was expressed in low-grade serous, clear cell, endometrioid and mucinous cell ovarian carcinomas, which are relatively chemoresistant compared to high grade serous ovarian carcinomas. Four ovarian cancer cell lines, RMUGL (mucinous), TOV21G (clear cell), MDAH-2774 (endometrioid) and IGROV1 (endometrioid), which express high-levels of PAX2, were used to study the …

Effects Of Canola And Corn Oil Mimetic On Jurkat Cells, Gabriela Ion, Kayla Fazio, Juliana A. Akinsete, W. Elaine Hardman

Biochemistry and Microbiology

BACKGROUND: The Western diet is high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids. Canola oil contains a healthier omega 3 to omega 6 ratio than corn oil. Jurkat T leukemia cells were treated with free fatty acids mixtures in ratios mimicking that found in commercially available canola oil (7% α-linolenic, 30% linoleic, 54% oleic) or corn oil (59% linoleic, 24% oleic) to determine the cell survival or cell death and changes in expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and receptors following oil treatment.

METHODS: Fatty acid uptake was assessed by gas chromatography. Cell survival and cell death were …

The Sheddase Activity Of Adam10/Adam17 On Cxcl16 Increases Proliferation And Survival Of Colorectal Cancer Cells, Tamu C. Talton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

CXCL16 is an interferon-inducible chemokine of the CXC-subfamily and functions as an adhesion molecule, when membrane bound, and a chemoattractant when soluble. Upregulation of cell associated CXCL16 (cCXCL16) in colorectal cancer is associated with increased tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and good prognosis. ADAM10 and ADAM17 are metalloproteinases responsible for cleaving CXCL16, releasing soluble CXCL16 (sCXCL16) and contributing to proliferation and migration of mesangial cells, in kidney inflammatory disease. We hypothesize that cCXCL16 is a substrate for ADAM10 and ADAM17 cleavage in colorectal cancer, releasing sCXCL16, which mediates cell proliferation. To this end, we first identified CXCL16 in the human colon carcinoma …

Novel Translational Regulation Of The Proapoptotic Bcl2 Member Puma And Its Role During Skeletal Myoblast Apoptosis, Atossa Shaltouki

ETD Archive

Differentiation and apoptosis are coordinately regulated in skeletal myoblasts. During the process of skeletal myoblast differentiation, our lab has determined that roughly 30 of myoblasts undergo apoptosis rather than differentiation. Further, we have reported that cytochrome C is released, and that the expression level of the pro-apoptotic Bcl2 family member PUMA is elevated, when 23A2 myoblasts are cultured in DM. Our long-term goal is to identify targets for manipulation that would abrogate this apoptosis without affecting differentiation. These findings could be significant to the study of myoblast transfer as a therapeutic approach. The goals of this dissertation are to: 1- …

Contributions Made By Cdc25 Phosphatases To Proliferation Of Intestinal Epithelial Stem And Progenitor Cells, Gwanghee Lee, Sofia Origanti, Lynn S. White, Jinwu Sun, Thaddeus S. Stappenbeck, Helen Piwnica-Worms

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The CDC25 protein phosphatases drive cell cycle advancement by activating cyclin-dependent protein kinases (CDKs). Humans and mice encode three family members denoted CDC25A, -B and -C and genes encoding these family members can be disrupted individually with minimal phenotypic consequences in adult mice. However, adult mice globally deleted for all three phosphatases die within one week after Cdc25 disruption. A severe loss of absorptive villi due to a failure of crypt epithelial cells to proliferate was observed in the small intestines of these mice. Because the Cdc25s were globally deleted, the small intestinal phenotype and loss of animal viability could …

The Role Of Caspases In Alzheimer's Disease; Potential Novel Therapeutic Opportunities, Troy T. Rohn

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although apoptosis plays a critical role in molding the CNS into its final appearance and function, inappropriate activation of this pathway in the aging brain may contribute to neurodegeneration. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), an overwhelming body of evidence supports the activation of apoptosis in general, and caspases specifically as an early event that may not only contribute to neurodegeneration but also promote the underlying pathology associated with this disease. Therefore, caspase inhibitors may provide an effective strategy for treating AD. However, despite the compelling evidence indicating a role for caspases in disease progression, chronic treatment with caspase inhibitors in animal …

Localization And Binding Characteristics Of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Bcl-2 Protein In The Prevention Of Apoptosis, Erin T. St.Angelo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the causative agent of various diseases, and it encodes a Bcl-2 homolog, KS-Bcl-2. The Bcl-2 family is important in regulating cellular apoptosis. Pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members promote apoptosis through mitochondrial pore formation by Bak and Bax, or through BH3 only domain activators and sensitizers. Anti-apoptotic members, such as cellular Bcl-2 prevent apoptosis through interactions with pro-apoptotic proteins, for instance inhibiting pore formation by binding to Bak and/or Bax. Even though, KS-Bcl-2 has been shown to have an anti-apoptotic function like its homolog, it does not bind to either Bak or Bax, and little is known …