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Increased intestinal Bak expression results in apoptosis
1Department of Medicine, St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10025, USA.
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|June 5, 1996
Summary
Bak, a Bcl-2 family gene, is linked to intestinal cell apoptosis. Increased Bak expression correlates with epithelial cell loss in the colon and apoptosis in cultured intestinal cells.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Molecular biology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Human intestinal epithelial cells have a short lifespan of approximately 5 days.
- Epithelial cell loss occurs via apoptosis at the luminal surface.
- The Bcl-2 gene family plays a role in regulating apoptosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the Bcl-2 gene family in intestinal epithelial cell loss.
- To identify specific Bcl-2 family members correlated with apoptosis in the human colon.
Main Methods:
- Examined changes in Bcl-2 gene family expression in normal and neoplastic colon tissue.
- Utilized immunohistochemistry to detect Bak expression at sites of apoptosis.
- Induced apoptosis in HT29 (human colon cancer) and IEC 18 (rat small intestinal) cell lines in culture.
- Assessed changes in Bak and other Bcl-2 homologous protein expression during induced apoptosis.
Main Results:
- Mucosal expression of immunoreactive Bak co-localized with epithelial cell apoptosis in the colon.
- Induced apoptosis in HT29 and IEC 18 cell lines led to increased Bak expression.
- No consistent changes in other Bcl-2 homologous proteins were observed during induced apoptosis.
Conclusions:
- Bak appears to be the primary endogenous Bcl-2 family member associated with intestinal cell apoptosis.
- Bak expression levels correlate with the rate of epithelial cell loss in the intestine.