Expression of candidate cell death genes in cell lines during apoptosis.

Abstract

We have cloned mouse candidate cell death genes RP-2 and nedd2 and used Northern blot analysis to study their expression in a growth-factor-dependent cell line (FDC-P1) that can be induced to undergo apoptosis by growth factor withdrawal and in a thymoma line (ST4) that undergoes apoptosis when irradiated. RP-2 was expressed in FDC-P1 cells even when not undergoing apoptosis, and mRNA levels did not increase when apoptosis was induced by growth factor withdrawal. FDC-P1 cells expressed two genes that are similar to the Caenorhabditis elegans cell death gene ced-3: a 3.7 kilobase (kb) nedd2 message and low levels of a 5-kb message for interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme. Levels of these mess..