Zeta BCL-2 Antibody. Zeta’s mouse monoclonal antibody recognizes BCL-2, a member of a family of apoptosis regulators which together control the balance between positive and negative apoptotic signals. BCL-2 acts as an inhibitor of apoptosis. BCL-2 is normally expressed in mantle zone B cells and T cells, with an intense perinuclear cytoplasmic pattern, but it is not expressed in reactive germinal center B cells. In most cases of follicular lymphoma, the BCL2 gene is involved in a translocation with IgH, t(14;18)(q32;q21), leading to overexpression of the BCL-2 protein. Thus, BCL-2 expression in germinal center B cells supports a diagnosis of follicular lymphoma.
Expression of BCL-2 oncoprotein inhibits the programmed cell death (apoptosis). In most follicular lymphomas, neoplastic germinal centers express high levels of BCL-2 protein, whereas the normal or hyperplastic germinal centers are negative.