title: Expression of c-Jun and Bcl-2 family proteins in apoptotic photoreceptors of RCS rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if c-Jun and Bcl-2 family proteins play a role in photoreceptor apoptosis in Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  RCS and Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Cryosections of retinas harvested at various postnatal periods were immunostained with antibodies against c-Jun, Bcl-2, and Bax. Double staining with TdT-dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) or propidium iodide (PI) and antibodies was also done. To study the time course of gene and protein expression, semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunoblotting analyses were carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TUNEL-positive photoreceptors of RCS rats were stained strongly with antibodies against c-Jun and Bax. The number of immunoreactive cells increased on days 21 and 28 after birth (P21 and P28) and decreased on P45. Semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that mRNAs for c-Jun and Bax were upregulated at P21 and P28, but those for Bcl-2 were unchanged. On immunoblotting, a 43-kDa band was revealed by the anti-c-Jun antibody and a 21-kDa band, by the anti-Bax antibody. Protein expression of c-Jun and Bax were increased at both P21 and P28. The temporal profiles of immunoreactivity, protein expression, and mRNA expression were similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  c-Jun and Bax may play a role in photoreceptor apoptosis in RCS rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan. katainao@hsp.md.shinshu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Naomichi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katai
authors.forename: Tomoko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yanagidaira
authors.forename: Nami
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Senda
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Nagahisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D012333:RNA, Messenger