Is it normal when a Bcl-2 protein is highly expressed compared to Bax protein in normal state (control group)? This pattern also appeared in an apoptosis-induced group with higher expression compared to control. What information can be obtained from these findings?
Posting an image of what you are describing would facilitate interpretation. What type of cells are you using? How are you inducing apoptosis in your cells?
What are you talking about when you say: expression?
Did you mention qRT-PCR? or western blot analysis (pattern)?
You should remember that western blot is not a technique to evaluate gene expression.
Best,
You need to post more information about your work. Generally, in cells undergo apoptosis, Bax expression is elevated vs. Bcl-2 levels. In resting cells, it is vice versa. Sometimes, it is more important to know the ratio Bcl-2/Bax expression then levels alone.
Thanks for your response and sorry for asking with lack of additional information. Actually I'm asking based on pattern of protein expression (by western blot) without undergo density analysis (just to get a rough idea).
My research more on radiation safety which conducted on mice by irradiated with low dose radiation. Based on my previous findings, the exposure of low dose radiation (20 mSv) could induce oxidative damage in mice. Recently, my study will focus on the expression of apoptotic-related proteins (p53, bax & bcl-2).
Please refer to the attached image (bax and bcl-2 protein expression) for my preliminary result (not analyze yet) and what can all of you say about this situation.
The current preliminary results reflect the position of Bax overexpression vs. Bcl-2, which corresponds with toxicity raised by irradiation. Generally, these results are expected and they are in line with increased toxicity.
The increased expression of Bax is certainly higher than that of Bcl-2, based on these results. Maybe a dose-dependent response to your radiation treatment over different time points might help you to better understand the expression of these two proteins.
There are many proteins in the Bcl-2 family that regulate each other in a complex web of interactions. Knowing the levels of only two of these proteins doesn't really tell you much. You'd have to know what happens to every member of the family, at least the main ones, and even then you would have to do additional experiments to determine which changes are causal. It's not a trivial matter.
I would suggest that Bax up regulation may be as a result of radiation induced-p53 activity, depending upon the time point post-radiation.
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