Elastin peptides antagonize ceramide-induced apoptosis

Abstract 

Elastin peptides regulate proliferation, chemotaxis and protease expression. The aim of this work was to assess their influence on apoptosis. Human skin fibroblast cell death was induced using C₂-ceramide in the presence or absence of elastin peptides. We show that ceramide-induced apoptosis could be blocked by elastin peptides. Using pharmacological inhibitors, we show that elastin peptide treatment leads to activation of the anti-apoptotic protein Akt that phosphorylates the pro-apoptotic protein Bad, the Foxo3a transcription factor and caspase-9. Importantly, the anti-apoptotic effects of elastin peptides were persistent in time. Our results suggest that elastin peptides could be potent cell survival factors.

Abbreviations: C₂-cer, C₂-ceramides, DMEM, Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium, EBP, elastin binding protein, EP, elastin peptides, ERC, elastin receptor complex, ERK, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, FLICA, fluorescent inhibitor of caspase, MEK, mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase, Neu-1, neuraminidase-1, PI3K, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase

Keywords: Elastin peptide, Survival, Apoptosis, Aging, Senescence