Bcl-2 inhibits cell death of serum-free mouse embryo cells caused by epidermal growth factor deprivation

SFME cells are brain-derived neural precursor cells that are acutely depend ent on epidermal growth factor (EGF) for survival, undergoing apoptosis wit hin 24 h after EGF withdrawal. Because the expression of the protooncogene bcl-2 inhibits apoptosis induced by the withdrawal of interleukins or nerve growth factor in some growth factor-dependent haematopoietic or neuronal c ell-cultures, we examined the effect of Bcl-2 expression on cell death of S FME cells in the absence of EGF SFME cells expressing human Bcl-2 showed pr olonged survival when deprived of EGF compared to control cells not express ing Bcl-2. A significant fraction of Bcl-2-expressing cells remained viable for 4 days in the absence of EGF and resumed proliferation upon readdition of EGF to the cultures. These results suggest that apoptosis induced by EG F withdrawal in SFME cells may share common mechanisms with other growth fa ctor-related apoptotic systems.