Abstract
Neural progenitors show a strong tendency to undergo apoptosis in response to DNA damage, and both impaired DNA repair and increased neural progenitor apoptosis are associated with microcephaly. Here we present an immunohistochemistry-based method for assessing DNA damage and apoptosis in the neonatal mouse brain. These methods are suitable for determining in specific experimental conditions the fractions of cells with DNA double-strand breaks, the fractions of cells undergoing apoptosis, or both. While DNA damage in neural progenitors can trigger apoptosis, inappropriate apoptosis may also result from other processes. Simultaneous analysis of DNA damage and apoptosis in mouse models of microcephaly can determine how genetic instability and cell death contribute to the observed phenotype.
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De la Cruz, G., Nikolaishvili-Feinberg, N., Gershon, T.R. (2023). Automated Immunofluorescence Staining for Analysis of DNA Damage and Apoptosis in Brain Sections. In: Gershon, T. (eds) Microcephaly. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2583. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2752-5_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2752-5_6
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Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-2751-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-2752-5
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