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Akt/Protein Kinase B Inhibits Cell Death by Preventing the Release of Cytochrome c from Mitochondria

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TLDR
The results show that Akt promotes cell survival by intervening in the apoptosis cascade before cytochrome c release and caspase activation via a mechanism that is distinct from Bad phosphorylation.
Abstract: 
Growth factors signaling through the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway promote cell survival. The mechanism by which the serine/threonine kinase Akt prevents cell death remains unclear. We have previously shown that Akt inhibits the activity of DEVD-targeted caspases without changing the steady-state levels of Bcl-2 and Bcl-x(L). Here we show that Akt inhibits apoptosis and the processing of procaspases to their active forms by delaying mitochondrial changes in a caspase-independent manner. Akt activation is sufficient to inhibit the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and the alterations in the inner mitochondrial membrane potential. However, Akt cannot inhibit apoptosis induced by microinjection of cytochrome c. We also demonstrated that Akt inhibits apoptosis and cytochrome c release induced by several proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members. Taken together, our results show that Akt promotes cell survival by intervening in the apoptosis cascade before cytochrome c release and caspase activation via a mechanism that is distinct from Bad phosphorylation.

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The PI3K-PDK1 connection: more than just a road to PKB.

TL;DR: The mechanism by which PKB is activated and the downstream actions of this multifunctional kinase are reviewed, as well as the evidence that PDK1 may be involved in the activation of protein kinases other than PKB, and the possibility that some of the currently postulated PKB substrates targets might in fact be phosphorylated byPDK1-regulated kinasesother than P KB.
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Synthesis and Function of 3-Phosphorylated Inositol Lipids

TL;DR: This review is focused on the 3-phosphoinositide lipids, the synthesis of which is acutely triggered by extracellular stimuli, the enzymes responsible for their synthesis and metabolism, and their cell biological roles.
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Impaired insulin and insulin-like growth factor expression and signaling mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease--is this type 3 diabetes?

TL;DR: The present work demonstrates extensive abnormalities in insulin and insulin-like growth factor type I and II (IGF-I and IGF-II) signaling mechanisms in brains with AD, and shows that while each of the corresponding growth factors is normally made in central nervous system neurons, the expression levels are markedly reduced in AD.
Journal ArticleDOI

Induction of apoptosis by cancer chemotherapy.

TL;DR: The two prototypic death pathways are described, current understanding of the role of the two pathways in chemotherapy-induced apoptosis is summarized, and the implications of these studies for mechanisms of resistance to chemotherapeutic agents are discussed.

Impaired insulin and insulin-like growth factor expression and signaling mechanisms in Alzheimer disease-is this type 3 diabetes?

E Steen
TL;DR: In this article, the authors demonstrate extensive abnormalities in insulin and insulin-like growth factor type I and II (IGF-I and IGF-II) signaling mechanisms in brains with sporadic Alzheimer's disease and show that while each of the corresponding growth factors is normally made in central nervous system (CNS) neurons, the expression levels are markedly reduced in AD.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI

Mitochondria and apoptosis

TL;DR: A variety of key events in apoptosis focus on mitochondria, including the release of caspase activators (such as cytochrome c), changes in electron transport, loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, altered cellular oxidation-reduction, and participation of pro- and antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins.
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Caspases: Enemies Within

TL;DR: This work has shown that understanding caspase regulation is intimately linked to the ability to rationally manipulate apoptosis for therapeutic gain.
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Akt Promotes Cell Survival by Phosphorylating and Inhibiting a Forkhead Transcription Factor

TL;DR: It is demonstrated that Akt also regulates the activity of FKHRL1, a member of the Forkhead family of transcription factors, which triggers apoptosis most likely by inducing the expression of genes that are critical for cell death, such as the Fas ligand gene.
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Apoptosis in the pathogenesis and treatment of disease

TL;DR: In multicellular organisms, homeostasis is maintained through a balance between cell proliferation and cell death, and recent evidence suggests that alterations in cell survival contribute to the pathogenesis of a number of human diseases.
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Akt Phosphorylation of BAD Couples Survival Signals to the Cell-Intrinsic Death Machinery

TL;DR: It is shown that growth factor activation of the PI3'K/Akt signaling pathway culminates in the phosphorylation of the BCL-2 family member BAD, thereby suppressing apoptosis and promoting cell survival.
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