BAX protein is not expressed by basal cell carcinomas.
BAX and related proteins encoded by the BCL2 gene family are involved in the regulation of apoptosis. BAX is an apoptosis-promoting protein. The slow growth of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) has so far been explained by a high apoptotic activity. We investigated immunohistochemically 27 BCCs for expression of the apoptosis-promoting BAX protein. BCC did not express detectable amounts of BAX immunohistochemically. The results indicate that apoptosis in BCC does not involve BAX protein. We propose that the apoptotic pathway in BCC is regulated by either less common members of the BCL2 gene family or bypasses the regulation of the BCL2 gene family.
Rossen
K
K
Department of Pathology, Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark.
Karabulut Thorup
A
A
Hou-Jensen
K
K
Krag Jacobsen
G
G
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004817:Epidermis / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
C494826:BAX protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein