DatasheetSDS

Apoptosis is a mechanism for programmed cell death, with morphological characteristics of chromatin condensation and crescent shaped deposits along the nuclear membrane. Two opposing but related groups of proteins have been identified that either promote or inhibit apoptosis. Bax protein is identified as promoter of apoptosis. The inhibitor proteins of apoptosis are known to form homodimers or heterodimers with the apoptosis promoter proteins. Some tissues express both bax protein and bcl- 2 protein in equal levels, but some cells express either type exclusively or dominantly. Cells displaying higher levels of bax relative to bcl-2 generally undergo apoptosis. The override of apoptotic control is suspected to cause or contribute to some forms of carcinogenesis. Studies of normal tissues demonstrate that the distribution of apoptotic regulator proteins correlates with the regenerative properties of the tissue studied. Epithelial cells of colon crypts show increases in bax expression and corresponding decreases in bcl-2 expression as cells progress from the base of crypts to the luminal surface. Likewise immune cells with improper antigen presentation not selected for clonal division show high expression of bax compared to cells undergoing clonal expansion. This antibody will detect the ?, ?, and ? isoforms of bax protein.