Aberrant expression of bcl-2 gene family in Down's syndrome brains.
Down's syndrome (DS) patient brains are known to develop prematurely the same degenerative changes as those seen in Alzheimer's disease (AD). On the assumption that the apoptotic mechanism is involved in the neuronal loss in DS, we have investigated the expression of the bcl-2 gene family in DS brains and found marked alterations. The most prominent changes were in the temporal lobes where neuronal loss was greatest. Our findings suggest that a apoptotic process is involved in the neuronal loss in DS.
Sawa
A
A
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan. akira@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu
Oyama
F
F
Cairns
N J
NJ
Amano
N
N
Matsushita
M
M
D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017209:Apoptosis; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017931:DNA Primers; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019254:Genes, bcl-2; D006801:Humans; D005810:Multigene Family; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein
D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; C494811:BCL2L1 protein, human; D017931:DNA Primers; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein