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Thursday, June 25, 2009

The Proapoptotic BH3-Only, Bcl-2 Family Member, Puma Is Critical for Acute Ethanol-Induced Neuronal Apoptosis.
Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology. POST EDITOR CORRECTIONS, 16 June 2009

Although Puma expression has been reported to be regulated by p53, p53-deficient mice exhibited a similar extent of ethanol-induced caspase-3 activation and neuronal apoptosis as wild-type mice. Mice deficient in other proapoptotic BH3-only proteins, including Noxa, Bim, or Hrk, showed no significant protection from ethanol-induced neuronal apoptosis.

Collectively, these studies indicate a p53-independent, Bax- and Puma-dependent mechanism of neuronal apoptosis and identify Puma as a possible molecular target for inhibiting the effects of intrauterine ethanol exposure in humans.


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