Cell Death and Differentiation (2003) 10, 516–527 & 2003 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved 1350-9047/03 $25.00 www.nature.com/cdd TGF-b1 suppresses apoptosis via differential regulation of MAP kinases and ceramide production H-H Chen1, S Zhao1 and J-G Song*,1 Introduction 1 Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, The balance between cell proliferation, differentiation, and Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, apoptosis is controlled by various internal and external stimuli, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China which play crucial roles in normal development and home- * Corresponding author: J Song, Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute ostasis of living cells and organisms. Disruption of this of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, balance by different factors may lead to abnormal cell death, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, growth, and many pathological events, including cancer, People’s Republic of China. E-mail:
[email protected] immune and developmental diseases. Studies on the under- lying mechanisms through which the balance between cell Received 22.7.02; revised 18.10.02; accepted 29.10.02 Edited by JYJ Wang proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis are maintained or disrupted are important in understanding various physiologi- cal and pathological processes. It is now known that complex Abstract signaling network, which is formed by the interaction or ‘crosstalk’ among various signaling molecules and pathways, Serum deprivation induces apoptosis in NIH3T3 cells, which is implicated in the subtle and general control of cell is associated with increased intracellular ceramide genera- proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.