The pro-apoptotic Bax gene modifies susceptibility to craniofacial dysmorphology following gastrulation-stage alcohol exposure.

ABSTRACT:

Background

During early development, alcohol exposure causes apoptotic cell death in discrete regions of the embryo which are associated with distinctive patterns of later-life abnormalities. In gastrulation, which occurs during the third week of human pregnancy, alcohol targets the ectoderm, the precursor of the eyes, face, and brain. This midline tissue loss leads to the craniofacial dysmorphologies, such as microphthalmia and a smooth philtrum, which define fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). An important regulator of alcohol-induced cell death is the pro-apoptotic protein Bax. The current study determines if mice lacking the Bax gene are less susceptible to the pathogenic effects of gastrulation-stage alcohol exposure.

Methods

Male and female Bax^+/- mice mated to pr

SUBMITTER: Fish EW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10103739 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature