Ho, Tik Shun. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-102). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgement --- p.vii / Table of Contents --- p.viii / List of Table --- p.x / List of Figures --- p.xi / List of Abbreviations --- p.xiii / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- General Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Fatty Acid Synthase (FAS) - 7-domain multifunctional enzyme --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Functions --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Structure --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2 --- Fatty Acid biosynthesis reactions --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3 --- Malonyl Coenzyme A - An important mediator in lipogenesis --- p.7 / Chapter 1.4 --- FAS expression in different histotypes --- p.8 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- FAS in normal cells --- p.8 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- FAS in pathological cells --- p.8 / Chapter 1.4.3 --- Tumor-associated FAS (Oncogenic antigen-519) in cancer cells --- p.9 / Chapter 1.5 --- FAS signaling models in breast and prostate cancers --- p.12 / Chapter 1.5.1 --- Association between FAS and PI3K／Akt pathway --- p.12 / Chapter 1.5.2 --- Hypothetical model of FAS hyperactivity in breast and prostate cancer cells --- p.13 / Chapter 1.6 --- FAS inhibition to tackle cancer cell growth --- p.15 / Chapter 1.6.1 --- FAS inhibitors --- p.15 / Chapter 1.6.1.1 --- Cerulenin --- p.16 / Chapter 1.6.1.2 --- C75 --- p.17 / Chapter 1.6.2 --- Small interfering RNA --- p.17 / Chapter 1.7 --- FAS inhibition to enhance chemoresistant cancer cells sensitivity to drugs --- p.19 / Chapter 1.8 --- Hypothesis --- p.20 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- Methods and Materials --- p.21 / Chapter 2.1 --- Chemicals and antibodies --- p.21 / Chapter 2.2 --- Cell cultures --- p.21 / Chapter 2.3 --- MTT assay --- p.22 / Chapter 2.4 --- 5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeling cell proliferation assay --- p.22 / Chapter 2.5 --- Cytotoxicity detection assay of LDH release --- p.23 / Chapter 2.6 --- DNA flow cytometry --- p.23 / Chapter 2.7 --- Confocal micocropy --- p.24 / Chapter 2.8 --- Immunoblot analysis --- p.24 / Chapter 2.8.1 --- Preparation of protein lysates --- p.24 / Chapter 2.8.2 --- Immunoblotting --- p.25 / Chapter 2.9 --- Caspase inhibitor studies --- p.26 / Chapter 2.10 --- Analysis of mitochondrial membrane potential --- p.26 / Chapter 2.11 --- Determination of caspase activities --- p.27 / Chapter 2.12 --- siRNA transfection --- p.27 / Chapter 2.13 --- Statistical analysis --- p.28 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- Results --- p.29 / Chapter 3.1 --- Cytostatic & cytotoxic studies of FAS inhibitors on human cancer cells --- p.29 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Cerulenin and C75 suppress cell growth of different cancer histotypes --- p.29 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Cerulenin and C75 suppress cell growth of A-375 dose- and time-dependently --- p.32 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Cerulenin and C75 exert cytotoxic effect on A-375 but not normal skin HS68 cells --- p.36 / Chapter 3.1.4 --- Cerulenin and C75 arrest cell cycle progression and induce apoptosis with DNA Fragmentation --- p.39 / Chapter 3.2 --- Mechanistic studies of FAS inhibitors in A-375 cells --- p.46 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Cerulenin and C75 induce caspase-dependent apoptosis --- p.46 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Cerulenin- and C75-induced apoptosis involve extrinsic death receptor pathway --- p.52 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Cerulenin- and C75-induced apoptosis involve intrinsic mitochondrial pathway --- p.57 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Extrinsic death receptor pathway serves as a pioneer and links with intrinsic mitochondrial pathway in cerulenin- and C75-induced apoptosis --- p.65 / Chapter 3.3 --- Small interfering RNA on Fatty Acid Synthase (FAS siRNA) --- p.68 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- FAS siRNA induces PARP cleavage --- p.68 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- FAS siRNA triggers caspase-dependent apoptosis as FAS inhibitors --- p.70 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- Discussion --- p.72 / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- Future Prospect --- p.85 / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- References --- p.88