Promote Caspase Activation Research Articles

Ceramide Generated by Sphingomyelin Hydrolysis and the Salvage Pathway Is Involved in Hypoxia/Reoxygenation-induced Bax Redistribution to Mitochondria in NT-2 Cells

Ceramide functions as an important second messenger in apoptosis signaling pathways. In this report, we show that treatment of NT-2 neuronal precursor cells with hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) resulted in ceramide up-regulation. This elevation in ceramide was primarily due to the actions of acid sphingomyelinase and ceramide synthase LASS 5, demonstrating the action of the salvage pathway. Hypoxia/reoxygenation treatment led to Bax translocation from the cytoplasm to mitochondria and cytochrome c release from mitochondria. Down-regulation of either acid sphingomyelinase or LASS 5-attenuated ceramide accumulation and H/R-induced Bax translocation to mitochondria. Overall, we have demonstrated that ceramide up-regulation following H/R is pertinent to Bax activation to promote cell death.

A Novel Polyarginine Containing Smac Peptide Conjugate that Mediates Cell Death in Tumor and Healthy Cells

The seven N-terminal amino acids AVPIAQK (SmacN7) of the mitochondrial protein Smac (second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase) promote caspase activation by binding specifically to inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) and blocking their inhibitory activity. SmacN7 cannot pass through the cell membrane, but to be of therapeutic use it would be essential for it to enter the cell. To achieve transmembrane transport of SmacN7 we coupled it to a novel fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled transmembrane transport peptide RRRRK(FITC)RRRR via ss-alanine to produce the conjugate AVPIAQKssA RRRRK(FITC)RRRR. Because IAPs are much more strongly expressed in the cytoplasm of tumor cells, we expected this conjugate to produce staining of the cytoplasm, and for this to be stronger in tumor cells than in healthy cells. Surprisingly, we found strong nuclear uptake of the Smac conjugate and of the transport peptide alone without subsequent release in both tumor cells and healthy cells from the bladder, prostate, and brain. This was accompanied by cell death. In contrast to expectations, it appears that the apoptotic effects observed do not result from the SmacN7 cargo alone.

Protein–protein recognition as a first step towards the inhibition of XIAP and Survivin anti‐apoptotic proteins

Apoptosis, also called programmed cell death, is a conserved mechanism inherent to all cells that sentences them to death when they receive the appropriate external stimuli. Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) are a family of regulatory proteins that suppress such cell death. XIAP is the most commonly studied member of the IAP family. It binds to and inhibits Caspases, an important family of apoptotic proteases. In addition, XIAP over-expression has been detected in numerous types of cancer. Smac/DIABLO, a mitochondrial protein that binds to IAPs and promotes Caspase activation, has the opposite action to XIAP and can be considered a key protein in the regulation of IAPs. Survivin, the smallest IAP protein, has received a lot of attention due to its specific expression in many cancer cell lines. It has been shown to interact with Smac/DIABLO, even though the structure of this complex has not yet been reported.We analysed the protein-protein interactions appearing in the Smac/DIABLO-XIAP and Smac/DIABLO-Survivin complexes fully, using molecular dynamics simulations. This information is a first step towards the design of Smac/DIABLO peptidomimetics that could be used as innovative therapeutic agents for the treatment of malignancy. Our results complement the experimental interactions described for the first complex and provide a detailed description for the second. We show that Smac/DIABLO interacts in a similar way with both targets through its amino terminal residues. In addition, we identify a pharmacophore formed by eight stable protein-protein interactions for the XIAP complex and seven stable protein-protein interactions for the Survivin complex, which describe the whole contact surface. This information is used to suggest the binding mode of embelin, the first non-peptidic inhibitor of XIAP, and two of its derivatives. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were also carried out to describe ligand and receptor flexibility. Finally, an MMGBSA protocol was used to obtain a more quantitative description of the binding in all the complexes studied.

Apaf-1 Deficiency Causes Chromosomal Instability

Apaf-1 is an essential component of the apoptosome, the molecular complex assembled in response to mitochondrial cytochrome c release that promotes caspase activation. Apaf-1 expression is suppressed in some malignant tumors, in particular melanoma as well as cervical and colorectal carcinoma, in which the loss of Apaf-1 expression marks tumor progression and poor prognosis. Recent results from our laboratory demonstrate that Apaf-1 has an apoptosis-unrelated function that may well account for its role as a tumor suppressor. The knockout of apaf-1 (in mice), the knockdown of Apaf-1 (in human cells) and loss of function mutations of ced-4 (the Caenorhabditis elegans ortholog of Apaf-1) compromise the arrest of DNA synthesis in response to DNA damage, in a context in which apoptosis does not occur. Here, we show that the depletion of Apaf-1 also sensitizes cells to chromosomalinstability induced by different types of DNA damage such as cisplatin, UVC light and γ-irradiation. These results unravel a hitherto unsuspected role for Apaf-1 in the maintenance of genomic stability, independently from its function in the cell death machinery.

Smac Mimetics and TNFα: A Dangerous Liaison?

Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) such as XIAP, cIAP1, and cIAP2 are upregulated in many cancer cells. It has been thought that small-molecule mimetics of Smac, an endogenous IAP antagonist, might potentiate apoptosis in cancer cells by promoting caspase activation. However, three recent papers, two in Cell (Vince et al., 2007; Varfolomeev et al., 2007) and one in Cancer Cell (Petersen et al., 2007), now report that Smac mimetics primarily kill cancer cells via a different mechanism, the induction of autoubiquitination and degradation of cIAPs, which culminates in TNFalpha-mediated cell death.

Mitochondrial Regulation of Caspase Activation by Cytochrome Oxidase and Tetramethylphenylenediamine via Cytosolic Cytochrome c Redox State

Cytochrome c release from mitochondria induces caspase activation in cytosols; however, it is unclear whether the redox state of cytosolic cytochrome c can regulate caspase activation. By using cytosol isolated from mammalian cells, we find that oxidation of cytochrome c by added cytochrome oxidase stimulates caspase activation, whereas reduction of cytochrome c by added tetramethylphenylenediamine (TMPD) or yeast lactate dehydrogenase/cytochrome c reductase blocks caspase activation. Scrape-loading of cells with this reductase inhibited caspase activation induced by staurosporine. Similarly, incubating intact cells with ascorbate plus TMPD to reduce intracellular cytochrome c strongly inhibited staurosporine-induced cell death, apoptosis, and caspase activation but not cytochrome c release, indicating that cytochrome c redox state can regulate caspase activation. In homogenates from healthy cells cytochrome c was rapidly reduced, whereas in homogenates from apoptotic cells added cytochrome c was rapidly oxidized by some endogenous process. This oxidation was prevented if mitochondria were removed from the homogenate or if cytochrome oxidase was inhibited by azide. This suggests that permeabilization of the outer mitochondrial membrane during apoptosis functions not just to release cytochrome c but also to maintain it oxidized via cytochrome oxidase, thus maximizing caspase activation. However, this activation can be blocked by adding TMPD, which may have some therapeutic potential.

A Protein Complex Restrains a Homicidal Enzyme during Sperm Differentiation

A Protein Complex Restrains a Homicidal Enzyme during Sperm Differentiation

Modulation of dendritic cell differentiation by colony-stimulating factor-1: role of phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase and delayed caspase activation

Monocytes acquire a dendritic cell (DC) phenotype when cultured with GM-CSF and IL-4. By contrast, CSF-1 is a potent inducer of monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation. Increasing evidence indicates that DC development is impaired in conditions characterized by CSF-1 overproduction, including pregnancy, trauma, and diverse malignancies. To study this, we have exposed newly established monocyte-derived DC cultures to conditions of CSF-1 excess. As a consequence, differentiation is skewed toward a unique intermediate phenotype, which we have termed DC-M. Such cells exhibit macrophage-like morphology with impaired allostimulatory capacity, altered cytokine production, and a distinctive cell surface immunophenotype. In light of the emerging role of caspase activation during macrophage differentiation, the activity of caspases 3, 8, and 9 was examined in DC and DC-M cultures. It is striking that DC-M cultures exhibit a delayed and progressive increase in activation of all three caspases, associated with depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, when DC-M cultures were supplemented with an inhibitor of caspase 8 or caspase 9, impairment of DC differentiation by CSF-1 was counteracted. To investigate upstream regulators of caspase activation in DC-M cultures, experiments were performed using inhibitors of proximal CSF-1 receptor signaling. These studies demonstrated that the PI-3K inhibitors, wortmannin and LY294002, antagonize the ability of CSF-1 to inhibit DC differentiation and to promote caspase activation. Together, these data identify a novel, PI-3K-dependent pathway by which CSF-1 directs delayed caspase activation in monocytes and thereby modulates DC differentiation.

Kringle 5 of human plasminogen, an angiogenesis inhibitor, induces both autophagy and apoptotic death in endothelial cells

AbstractInhibition of endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis is emerging as an important strategy in cancer therapeutics. Kringle 5 (K5) of human plasminogen is a potent angiogenesis inhibitor. Previous studies have shown K5 exposure promotes caspase activity and apoptosis in endothelial cells. Here we report that K5 treatment evokes an autophagic response in endothelial cells that is specific and initiated even in the absence of nutritional stress. Endothelial cells exposed to K5 up-regulated Beclin 1 levels within a few hours. Furthermore, progressively increasing amounts of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 were found to be complexed with Beclin 1, although total levels of Bcl-2 remained unchanged. Prolonged exposure to K5 ultimately led to apoptosis via mitochondrial membrane depolarization and caspase activation in endothelial cells. Knocking down Beclin 1 levels by RNA interference decreased K5 induced autophagy but accelerated K5-induced apoptosis. These studies suggest that interfering with the autophagic survival response can potentiate the antiangiogenic effects of Kringle 5 in endothelial cells.

Promotion of Photodynamic Therapy-Induced Apoptosis by the Mitochondrial Protein Smac/DIABLO: Dependence on Bax¶

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) using the second-generation photosensitizer phthalocyanine (Pc) 4 causes mitochondrial damage and induces apoptosis through the release of cytochrome c to the cytosol. Another protein of the mitochondrial intermembrane space, Smac/DIABLO (second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase/direct inhibitor of apoptosis-binding protein with low pI), is also released to the cytosol in response to apoptotic stimuli and promotes caspase activation by binding IAP. To investigate the possible role of Smac/DIABLO in apoptosis induced by Pc 4-PDT, we transfected Smac/DIABLO (tagged at its C-terminus with green fluorescent protein [GFP]) into MCF-7c3 cells (human breast cancer MCF-7 cells stably transfected with procaspase-3) and DU-145 cells (human prostate cancer cells that express no Bax because of a frameshift insertion mutation). Confocal microscopy showed that recombinant Smac/DIABLO, like cytochrome c, localized to mitochondria and colocalized with MitoTracker Red. Three hours after exposure of MCF-7c3 cells to PDT (200 nM Pc 4 and 150 mJ/cm2 red light), Smac/DIABLO–GFP, as well as cytochrome c, was found largely in the cytosol. In contrast, for DU-145 cells, both Smac/DIABLO–GFP and cytochrome c remained in the mitochondria after PDT. By staining with Hoechst 33342, typical apoptotic nuclei were observed in MCF-7c3 cells, but not in DU-145 cells, after Pc 4-PDT. These results suggest that the release of Smac/DIABLO from mitochondria may be regulated by a Bax-mediated mechanism and that Smac/DIABLO may cooperate with the cytochrome c–dependent apoptosis pathway. In addition, in MCF-7c3 cells transfected by Smac/DIABLO–GFP, apoptosis induced by Pc 4-PDT was greater than in cells transfected with the GFP vector alone or in untransfected cells, as determined by flow cytometry. Thus, Smac/DIABLO promotes apoptosis after Pc 4-PDT in a Bax-dependent manner and may facilitate the passage of PDT-treated cells through the late steps of apoptosis.

Inhibition of HtrA2/Omi ameliorates heart dysfunction following ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat heart in vivo

High temperature requirement A2 (HtrA2)/Omi is a mitochondrial serine protease that is released into the cytosol from mitochondria and in turn promotes caspase activation by proteolyzing inhibitor of apoptosis proteins. Here we asked whether treatment with an HtrA2/Omi inhibitor, 5-[5-(2-nitrophenyl)furfuryliodine]-1,3-diphenyl-2-thiobarbituric acid (UCF-101), restores heart dysfunction following ischemia/reperfusion injury in vivo. Rats underwent a 30-min ischemia by occluding the left anterior descending artery, followed by 24 h reperfusion. UCF-101 (0.75 or 1.5 μmol/kg, i.p.) was administered 10 min before reperfusion. UCF-101 treatment significantly recovered the mean arterial blood pressure and ameliorated contractile dysfunction of the left ventricle 72 h after reperfusion with concomitant reduction of infarct size. Cardio-protection mediated by UCF-101 was correlated with reduced X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) degradation and inhibition of Caspase-9, Caspase-3, and Caspase-7 processing. Furthermore, UCF-101 prevented loss of membrane integrity by inhibiting fodrin breakdown in cardiomyocytes. UCF-101-induced cytoprotection was also correlated with reduced Fas ligand expression and inhibition of FLIP degradation following ischemia/reperfusion. These results suggest that UCF-101 rescues cardiomyocytes from ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting XIAP degradation and Fas/Fas-ligand-induced apoptosis, thereby ameliorating ischemia/reperfusion-induced myocardial dysfunction.

Cytochrome c‐d regulates developmental apoptosis in the Drosophila retina

The role of cytochrome c (Cyt c) in caspase activation has largely been established from mammalian cell-culture studies, but much remains to be learned about its physiological relevance in situ. The role of Cyt c in invertebrates has been subject to considerable controversy. The Drosophila genome contains distinct cyt c genes: cyt c-p and cyt c-d. Loss of cyt c-p function causes embryonic lethality owing to a requirement of the gene for mitochondrial respiration. By contrast, cyt c-d mutants are viable but male sterile. Here, we show that cyt c-d regulates developmental apoptosis in the pupal eye. cyt c-d mutant retinas show a profound delay in the apoptosis of superfluous interommatidial cells and perimeter ommatidial cells. Furthermore, there is no apoptosis in mutant retinal tissues for the Drosophila homologues of apoptotic protease-activating factor 1 (Ark) and caspase 9 (Dronc). In addition, we found that cyt c-d--as with ark and dronc-regulates scutellar bristle number, which is known to depend on caspase activity. Collectively, our results indicate a role of Cyt c in caspase regulation of Drosophila somatic cells.

Mutational analysis of proapoptotic ARTS P-loop domain in common human cancers

Mounting evidence indicates that deregulation of apoptosis is involved in mechanisms of cancer development. ARTS is released from mitochondria into the cytosol during apoptosis, promoting caspase activation by neutralizing the inhibition of inhibitor of apoptotic protein (IAP) on caspases. ARTS contains a P-loop GTP-binding domain, which is essential for the apoptotic function of ARTS. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether a genetic alteration of ARTS gene is involved in the development of human cancers possibly by inactivating the apoptotic function of ART. We analyzed the coding region of the P-loop domain of human ARTS gene for the detection of somatic mutations in 100 gastric carcinomas, 100 non-small cell lung cancers, and 69 hepatocellular carcinomas using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP). However, there was no mutation in the P-loop coding region in the cancers. The data presented here suggest that ARTS P-loop is not frequently mutated in gastric, lung, and hepatocellular carcinomas, and that apoptosis deregulation in cancers is not dependent on the mutation of ARTS gene.

Combining proteasome inhibition with TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (Apo2L/TRAIL) for cancer therapy.

Apoptosis has an essential role in embryogenesis, adult tissue homeostasis and cellular responses to stressful stimuli. Therefore, increased apoptosis is involved in the pathogenesis of various ischaemic, degenerative and immune disorders. Conversely, genetic aberration that results in a reduction or abolition of apoptosis can promote tumorigenesis and underlie the resistance of cancer cells to various genotoxic anticancer agents. Therefore, a detailed knowledge of the control of apoptotic pathways could aid in the rational design of effective therapeutics for a variety of human diseases including cancer. One major way to promote apoptosis involves signaling through members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily. On binding to their appropriate receptors, some TNF family members can promote caspase activation and apoptosis. Early studies on TNF indicated that a limited number of tumor cell lines could be induced to undergo apoptosis on exposure to TNF. Another member of the TNF family Fas ligand (FasL) is also known to induce apoptosis in a variety of tumor cells. Although TNF and FasL can efficiently induce apoptosis in a limited number of tumor cells, administration of either of these agents is associated with extreme toxicity. This toxicity has precluded further development of either TNF or FasL for cancer therapy. However, within the last 8 years another member of the TNF family, TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (Apo2L/TRAIL) has been characterized, which induces apoptosis of a wider range of cancer cells than either TNF or FasL. Surprisingly, most normal non-transformed cells are quite resistant to the apoptotic effects of Apo2L/TRAIL. This selective toxicity for cancer cells is the basis for the current enthusiasm for Apo2L/TRAIL as a potential novel anticancer therapy. In this symposium report, we provide a brief overview of Apo2L/TRAIL, its receptors and their signaling pathways. We discuss findings on the antitumor effects of Apo2L/TRAIL alone or in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy. In addition, we present recent information from our groups concerning the possible therapeutic benefits of combining Apo2L/TRAIL with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib.

Regulation of the Proapoptotic ARTS Protein by Ubiquitin-mediatedDegradation

ARTS is a mitochondrial protein that promotes apoptosis induced by a variety of proapoptotic stimulators. ARTS induces apoptosis, at least in part, through binding to and antagonizing IAPs (inhibitors of apoptosis proteins). As a result of ARTS binding to IAPs, caspase inhibition is removed and apoptosis can be executed. Here we show that high cellular levels of ARTS protein sensitize cells toward apoptosis. Accordingly, in healthy cells ARTS levels are kept low through constant ubiquitin-mediated degradation. Upon proapoptotic stimuli, the ubiquitination process is inhibited, resulting in increased levels of ARTS. Increased ARTS in turn leads to a decrease of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL protein levels, cytochrome c release from mitochondria and apoptosis.

Plasma membrane sequestration of apoptotic protease-activating factor-1 in human B-lymphoma cells: a novel mechanism of chemoresistance

AbstractBurkitt lymphoma (BL) is a highly aggressive B-cell neoplasm harboring chromosomal rearrangements of the c-myc oncogene. BL cells frequently resist apoptosis induction by chemotherapeutic agents; however, the mechanism of unresponsiveness has not been elucidated. Here, we show that cytochrome c fails to stimulate apoptosome formation and caspase activation in cytosolic extracts of human BL-derived cell lines, due to insufficient levels of apoptotic protease-activating factor-1 (Apaf-1). Enforced expression of Apaf-1 increased its concentration in the cytosolic compartment, restored cytochrome c-dependent caspase activation, and rendered the prototypic Raji BL cell line sensitive to etoposide- and staurosporine-induced apoptosis. Surprisingly, in nontransfected BL cells, the bulk of Apaf-1 was found to associate with discrete domains in the plasma membrane. Disruption of lipid raft domains or the actin cytoskeleton of Raji cells liberated Apaf-1 and restored sensitivity to cytochrome c–dependent apoptosis, indicating that constitutive Apaf-1 retained its ability to promote caspase activation. Moreover, disruption of lipid rafts sensitized BL cells to apoptosis induced by etoposide. Together, our findings suggest that ectopic (noncytosolic) localization of Apaf-1 may constitute a novel mechanism of chemoresistance in B lymphoma.

Apoptosis inDrosophila: neither fish nor fowl (nor man, nor worm)

Studies in a wide variety of organisms have produced a general model for the induction of apoptosis in which multiple signaling pathways lead ultimately to activation of the caspase family of proteases. Once activated, these enzymes cleave key cellular substrates to promote the orderly dismantling of dying cells. A broad similarity exists in the cell death pathways operating in different organisms and there is a clear evolutionary conservation of apoptotic regulators such as caspases, Bcl-2 family members, inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins, IAP antagonists and caspase activators. Despite this, studies in Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila and vertebrates have revealed some apparent differences both in the way apoptosis is regulated and in the way individual molecules contribute to the propagation of the death signal. For example, whereas cytochrome c released from mitochondria clearly promotes caspase activation in vertebrates, there is no documented role for cytochrome c in C. elegans apoptosis and its role in Drosophila is highly controversial. In addition, the apoptotic potency of IAP antagonists appears to be greater in Drosophila than in vertebrates, indicating that IAPs may be of different relative importance in different organisms. Thus, although Drosophila, worms and humans share a host of apoptotic regulators, the way in which they function may not be identical.

Molecular Ordering of the Caspase Activation Cascade Initiated by the Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte/Natural Killer (CTL/NK) Protease Granzyme B

Granzyme B is a major cytotoxic T lymphocyte/natural killer (CTL/NK) granule protease that can activate members of the caspase family of cysteine proteases through processing of caspase zymogens. However, the molecular order and relative importance of caspase activation events that occur in target cells during granzyme B-initiated apoptosis has not been established. Here, we have examined the hierarchy of granzyme B-initiated caspase activation events using a cell-free system where all caspases are present at physiological levels. We show that granzyme B initiates a two-tiered caspase activation cascade involving seven caspases, where caspase-3 is required for the second tier of caspase activation events. Using a two-dimensional gel-based proteomics approach we have also examined the scale of granzyme B-initiated alterations to the proteome in the presence or absence of effector caspase-3 or -7. These studies indicate that granzyme B targets a highly restricted range of substrates and orchestrates cellular demolition largely through activation of caspase-3.

Kinetics of Smac/DIABLO release from mitochondria during apoptosis of MCF‐7 breast cancer cells

Smac/DIABLO, a pro-apoptotic protein released from mitochondrial intermembrane space during apoptosis, promotes caspase activation by IAPs neutralization. The kinetics and molecular mechanism of Smac/DIABLO release from mitochondria has remained obscure. Homeostatic confocal microscopy, for the first time, showed the precise kinetics of Smac/DIABLO release from mitochondria during CPT-induced apoptosis in living MCF-7 cells. The time pattern of Smac/DIABLO escape from mitochondria comprised two phases: the initial phase of gradual protein release, followed by the second phase of plateau, appearing after 24 min of cell exposure to the drug. A similar pattern was observed during oxidative stress. The dynamics of Smac/DIABLO redistribution was confirmed by different methods: traditional confocal microscopy, immunoelectron microscopy and laser scanning cytometry. The inhibition of m-calpain prevented Smac/DIABLO release from mitochondria, which confirmed the involvement of Bax in the process. Acquired results indicate that CPT treatment triggers Bax-dependent release of Smac/DIABLO from mitochondria simultaneously with the efflux of cytochrome c.

Alkylphosphocholine-induced glioma cell death is BCL-X(L)-sensitive, caspase-independent and characterized by massive cytoplasmic vacuole formation.

Alkylphosphocholines (APC) are candidate anticancer agents. We here report that APC induce the formation of large vacuoles and typical features of apoptosis in human glioma cell lines, but not in immortalized astrocytes. APC promote caspase activation, poly(ADP-ribose)-polymerase (PARP) processing and cytochrome c release from mitochondria. Adenoviral X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) gene transfer, or exposure to the caspase inhibitor, benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-DL-Asp-fluoro-methylketone zVAD-fmk, blocks caspase-7 and PARP processing, but not cell death, whereas BCL-X(L) blocks not only caspase-7 and PARP processing but also cell death. APC induce changes in Delta Psi m in sensitive glioma cells, but not in resistant astrocytes. The changes in Delta Psi m are unaffected by crm-A (cowpox serpin-cytokine response modifier protein A), XIAP or zVAD-fmk, but blocked by BCL-X(L), and are thus a strong predictor of cell death in response to APC. Free radicals are induced, but not responsible for cell death. APC thus induce a characteristic morphological, BCL-X(L)-sensitive, apparently caspase-independent cell death involving mitochondrial alterations selectively in neoplastic astrocytic cells.