Bcl-x Antibody Staining Protocol for Immunohistochemistry

Description: bcl-x has homology with and is a member of the bcl-2 family of proteins. bcl-x can function as a regulator of cell death independently of bcl-2. Differential splicing of the bcl-x mRNA produces short and long variants known as bcl-xS and bcl-xL. These variants have different functions. bcl-x immunoreactivity has been demonstrated in many cell types and like bcl-2, has been localised to the cytosol associated with mitochondria. bcl-x has been immunohistochemically detected in plasma cells, activated lymphocytes in interfollicular areas and a small number of lymphocytes within germinal centres. In normal tissues, bcl-x has been reported in cortical thymocytes, as well as spermatocytes and spermatids in the testes. It is also found in mammary epithelial cells, secretory and basal epithelial cells and differentiated keratinocytes in the upper layers of the epidermis (but not in basal cells). In many cases, the pattern of bcl-x expression is markedly different from that reported for bcl-2.