B-cell translocation gene 2 is over-expressed in peri-infarct neurons after ischaemic stroke.
OBJECTIVE
Recovery from stroke is dependent on the survival of neurons in the dynamic peri-infarcted region. Although several markers of neuronal injury and apoptotic cell death have been described, administration of neuroprotective drugs directed at specific molecules has had limited success. A complete understanding of deregulated genes associated with neuronal death would be beneficial. Our previous microarray studies identified increased expression of a novel protein, the B-cell translocation gene 2 (BTG2), in infarcted regions.


METHODS
We have used immunohistochemistry and Western blotting to examine the expression and localization of BTG2 in stroked brain tissue and immunofluorescent staining of human fetal brain neurons to determine if oxygen-glucose deprivation affected its expression.


RESULTS
We show that BTG2 is strongly expressed in peri-infarcted and infarcted regions of brain tissue, localizing in neuronal nuclei and cytoplasm, whilst being absent or very weakly expressed in normal looking contralateral tissue. Exposure of human fetal brain neurons to oxygen-glucose deprivation also induced BTG2 expression in the cytoplasm and perinuclear regions of cells staining positive for propidium iodide (a marker of nuclear damage).


CONCLUSIONS
BTG2 may be a modulator of cell survival and differentiation and could help to protect against cell death by inhibition of necrosis and/or apoptotic signalling pathways.
Slevin
M
M
Department of Biology, Chemistry and Health Science, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK. m.a.slevin@mmu.ac.uk
Sanfeliu
C
C
Turu
M M
MM
Grau-Olivares
M
M
Ferrer
I
I
Boluda
S
S
Marti-Fabregas
J
J
Kumar
S
S
Kumar
P
P
Krupinski
J
J
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D020521:Stroke / Q000378:metabolism*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins
D017874:Immediate-Early Proteins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C070114:BTG2 protein, human