Whole cell extracts were resolved by SDS Page and transferred INCB018424 onto nitrocellulose membranes, probed with MAD1 C19, a Tubulin, or C EBPb C19 antibo dies followed by horseradish peroxidase labeled secondary antibody. Detection was performed with the either chemiluminescence ECL kit or SuperSignal West Femto Maximum Sensitivity Substrate. Background Intrinsic apoptosis in neurons culminates in BAX activa tion and translocation to the mitochondria, the release of cytochrome c, and the activation of the caspase cascade. BAX translocation marks the committed step of the cell death process. Therefore, investigation of the apop totic pathway prior to BAX involvement is an important element of developing strategies to intervene in neuronal cell death. An early event in apoptosis is silencing of normal gene expression.
In addition to this, new transcription, required for apoptosis, is activated. This change in tran scriptional profile occurs in several models of neurode generation, including Huntingtons Disease, Alzheimers Disease, Parkinsons Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclero sis, spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, and the optic neuropa thy glaucoma. In glaucoma, retinal ganglion cells execute a typical intrinsic apoptotic program. Changes in transcription of several genes in injured RGCs have been shown in experimental glaucoma and after acute injury to the optic nerve. Genes that decrease in expression in RGCs include several that are specifically expressed in these cells, such as Thy1, Brn3b, Nrn1, Fem1c, and Sncg, as well as several non cell type specific genes, including BclXl, TrkB, and members of the neurofilament gene family.
Of the genes with increased expression, the majority are proapoptotic or stress response genes, such as Bim, cJun, and several Hsps and caspases. This change in the pattern of gene expression in RGCs occurs before detectable cell loss and can also be induced by optic nerve crush of Bax knock out RGCs, indi cating that this event occurs early in the apoptotic path way. Little investigation has been conducted to understand the mechanism underlying the down regula tion of normal gene expression. The global nature of gene silencing in RGCs, however, suggests that epigenetic changes of the chromatin of actively transcribed genes may be an early step in apoptosis.
Post translational modifications of histones are well known epigenetic changes that regulate chromatin fold ing, organization, and gene activity. Histone modifi cations include phosphorylation, methylation, ubiquitination, and or acetylation of lysine residues prin Drug_discovery cipally in the N terminal tails. While all of these modifications have an effect on the transcriptional activ ity, acetylation has the most direct effect. Acetylated histones are typically found in transcriptionally active euchromatic chromatin, whereas transcriptionally inac tive heterochromatic chromatin is rich in deacetylated histones.