Expression of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) in the aged rat brain.
The mitochondrial flavoprotein apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) promotes cell death upon nuclear translocation or by impinging on mitochondrial respiratory complex-I activity. Because decreased complex-I activity is associated with brain aging, we investigated the expression and distribution of AIF in frontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum of aged Long-Evans rat brains. We found that AIF was: (i) more abundantly expressed in striatum than in the other two brain regions, (ii) enriched in deep layers of frontal cortex and in the pyramidal cell layer of hippocampus, and (iii) overall mainly localized to mitochondria, but significantly more translocated to the nucleus in the deep layers of frontal cortex. Altogether, our data point to a difference in region 1 AIF expression patterns, and provide evidence for the involvement of AIF in the cell death of a subpopulation of cortical neurons in aged animals.
Yu
Wenfeng
W
Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 6875 LaSalle Boulevard, Verdun (Montréal), Québec, H4H 1R3, Canada.
Gubkina
Olena
O
Mechawar
Naguib
N
Elwell
Diana
D
Quirion
Rémi
R
Krantic
Slavica
S
D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D051033:Apoptosis Inducing Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans
D051033:Apoptosis Inducing Factor