Genomic profiling of cortical neurons following exposure to beta-amyloid

In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that beta-amyloid peptide induces
neuronal cell death. To explore the molecular basis underlying
beta-amyloid-induced toxicity, we analyzed gene expression profiles of cultured
rat cortical neurons treated for 24 and 48 h with synthetic beta-amyloid peptide.
From the 8740 genes interrogated by oligonucleotide microarray analysis, 241
genes were found to be differentially expressed and segregated into distinct
clusters. Functional clustering based on gene ontologies showed coordinated
expression of genes with common biological functions and metabolic pathways. The
comparison with genes differentially expressed in cerebellar granule neurons
following serum and potassium deprivation indicates the existence of common
regulatory mechanisms underlying neuronal cell death. Our results offer a genomic view of the changes that accompany beta-amyloid-induced neurodegeneration.