title: Increased expression of apoptosis-linked gene 2 (ALG2) in the rat brain after temporary focal cerebral ischemia.
abstract: Calcium is an important mediator of programmed cell death induced by transient cerebral ischemia, and calcium-binding proteins have been implicated in calcium-regulated signal transduction. Apoptosis-linked gene 2 is a calcium-binding protein required for cell death induced by different apoptotic stimuli. By Western blot analysis, we found that apoptosis-linked gene 2 protein was expressed in normal brains, and that expression increased in ischemic brains after 20 or 90 min of transient focal cerebral ischemia. Immunocytochemistry showed increased apoptosis-linked gene 2 protein expression in frontal cortex, a region where neurons underwent ischemic stress but still survived, after 20 or 90 min of focal cerebral ischemia. Apoptosis-linked gene 2 protein was also up-regulated in the ischemic border-zone of parietal cortex 24h after 20 min of focal ischemia, and was remarkably over-expressed in the caudate-putamen and parietal cortex, (where cells are destined to die) 24h after 90 min of ischemia. The expression pattern of apoptosis-linked gene 2 protein was similar to that of deoxyribonucleic acid damage detected by Klenow labeling assay. Our results suggest that apoptosis-linked gene 2 may be involved in the regulation of cell death after transient focal cerebral ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh 15261, USA.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagayama
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Greenberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004249:DNA Damage; D015870:Gene Expression; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins