BCL-2 INHIBITS DEATH OF CENTRAL NEURAL CELLS INDUCED BY MULTIPLE AGENTS

The protooncogene bcl-2, which has been implicated in B-cell lymphoma development, inhibits apoptosis due to growth factor withdrawal in som e, but not all, hematopoietic cells. Recently we found that bcl-2 also inhibits apoptosis in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells. We now report that bcl-2 inhibits the death of a central neural cell line due to serum a nd growth factor withdrawal, the calcium ionophore A23187, glucose wit hdrawal, membrane peroxidation, and, in some cases, free radical-induc ed damage. This broad range of protective effects of BCL-2 protein sug gests that BCL-2 may interact with a central step in neural cell death . Measurements of intracellular free calcium suggest that BCL-2 alters the transduction of neural death signals at a point distal to the ris e in intracellular free calcium.