RGD Reference Report - Bax protein expression is increased in Alzheimer's brain: correlations with DNA damage, Bcl-2 expression, and brain pathology. - Rat Genome Database

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Bax protein expression is increased in Alzheimer's brain: correlations with DNA damage, Bcl-2 expression, and brain pathology.

Authors: Su, JH  Deng, G  Cotman, CW 
Citation: Su JH, etal., J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 1997 Jan;56(1):86-93.
RGD ID: 10054039
Pubmed: PMID:8990132   (View Abstract at PubMed)

We have shown that many neurons in Alzheimer's disease (AD) exhibit terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) labeling for DNA strand breaks, and upregulation of Bcl-2 is associated with neurons exhibiting nuclear DNA fragmentation, while downregulation of Bcl-2 is associated with tangle-bearing neurons in AD brains. Consequently, we examined the expression of bcl-associated X (Bax) protein in AD brain. Immunoreactivity for Bax was seen in neurons and microglia of the hippocampal formation, and was elevated in the majority of AD cases as compared to control cases. Interestingly, 3 transitional cases, which had mild degeneration changes, exhibited relatively high levels of Bax immunoreactivity. Most Bax-positive neurons showed either TdT-labeled nuclei or Bcl-2 immunoreactivity. Although Bax immunoreactivity was detected within most early tangle-bearing neurons, many Bax-positive neurons did not colocalize with later-stage tangle-bearing neurons. In regions containing relatively few tangles in mild AD brains, many TdT-labeled neurons were immunolabeled with Bax antibody and most of them lacked evidence of neurofibrillary changes. These findings suggest that Bax may contribute to neuronal cell death in AD. Furthermore, DNA damage and the upregulation of Bax appear to precede tangle formation or may represent an alternative pathway of cell death in AD.

RGD Manual Disease Annotations    Click to see Annotation Detail View
TermQualifierEvidenceWithReferenceNotesSourceOriginal Reference(s)
Alzheimer's disease  IEP 10054039 RGD 
Alzheimer's disease  ISOBAX (Homo sapiens)10054039; 10054039 RGD 

Objects Annotated

Genes (Rattus norvegicus)
Bax  (BCL2 associated X, apoptosis regulator)

Genes (Mus musculus)
Bax  (BCL2-associated X protein)

Genes (Homo sapiens)
BAX  (BCL2 associated X, apoptosis regulator)


Additional Information