PAWR-mediated suppression of BCL2 promotes switching of 3-azido withaferin A (3-AWA)-induced autophagy to apoptosis in prostate cancer cells.

ABSTRACT: An active medicinal component of plant origin with an ability to overcome autophagy by inducing apoptosis should be considered a therapeutically active lead pharmacophore to control malignancies. In this report, we studied the effect of concentration-dependent 3-AWA (3-azido withaferin A) sensitization to androgen-independent prostate cancer (CaP) cells which resulted in a distinct switching of 2 interrelated conserved biological processes, i.e. autophagy and apoptosis. We have observed 3 distinct parameters which are hallmarks of autophagy in our studies. First, a subtoxic concentration of 3-AWA resulted in an autophagic phenotype with an elevation of autophagy markers in prostate cancer cells. This led to a massive accumulation of MAP1LC3B and EGFP-LC3B puncta coupled with gradual degrad

SUBMITTER: Rah B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4502794 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature