Altered expression of 14-3-3ζ protein in spinal cords of rat fetuses with spina bifida aperta.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A large number of studies have confirmed that excessive apoptosis is one of the reasons for deficient neuronal function in neural tube defects (NTDs). A previous study from our laboratory used 2-D gel electrophoresis to demonstrate that 14-3-3ζ expression was low in the spinal cords of rat fetuses with spina bifida aperta at embryonic day (E) 17. As a member of the 14-3-3 protein family, 14-3-3ζ plays a crucial role in the determination of cell fate and anti-apoptotic activity. However, neither the expression of 14-3-3ζ in defective spinal cords, nor the correlation between 14-3-3ζ and excessive apoptosis in NTDs has been fully confirmed.

Methodology/principal findings

We used immunoblotting and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to quantify the expression of 14

SUBMITTER: Wu LN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3735597 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature