Reactive Oxygen Species In Relation To AKT Phosphorylation Status In T24 Bladder Carcinoma Cell Lines

Phosphorylation of serine/threonine kinase Akt has previously been shown to be increased by treatment of cells with H2O2. Hence, other ROS species such as superoxide might also play roles in Akt phosphorylation. It was shown that at concentrations that do not overwhelm the cellular antioxidant defense systems, superoxide anion can inhibit death signaling. Hence, we would like to examine Akt phosphorylation levels in T24rasN17 cell lines because it has low superoxide level due to the inhibition of NADPH oxidase. It was shown that drug C1 is a purified merocyanine 540 (pMC540) photoproducts and acts as death trigger. It was also known that T24 cells phosphorylate upon trigger with C1. Hence, Akt phosphorylation level in T24rasN17 was examined. By doing so, we can investigate Akt phosphorylation in relation to superoxide level. Interestingly, it was found that T24rasN17 has higher basal Akt level compared to T24 but specific phosphorylation at ser-473 is almost the same for both T24 and T24rasN17. It was known that Akt has 3 phosphorylation sites, the other two sites are yet to be examined. Hence, it is possible that superoxide regulates basal Akt level but it is not known whether superoxide affects sensititivity of cells to Akt phosphorylation