PRKC apoptosis WT1 regulator protein

PAWR (PRKC apoptosis WT1 regulator protein) is a 340-amino-acid pro-apoptotic protein that induces apoptosis selectively in cancer cells through activation of the Fas death pathway and inhibition of NF-κB signaling (UniProt: Q96IZ0). The protein also functions as a transcriptional regulator, inhibiting WT1-mediated activation while repressing BCL2 anti-apoptotic activity. Notably, PAWR may directly regulate amyloid precursor protein cleavage by BACE1, linking it to amyloidogenic pathways (UniProt: Q96IZ0).

UniProt does not list specific disease associations for PAWR, though its pro-apoptotic and transcriptional functions position it within cell death and stress-response networks relevant to neurodegeneration (UniProt: Q96IZ0).

PAWR is upregulated in Alzheimer's disease brain tissue relative to age-matched controls, with a mean log2 fold-change of +1.26 in post-mortem AD brain quantified by TMT-labeled proteomics across subcellular fractions (Chaparral AD proteomics). This elevation suggests increased apoptotic signaling or compensatory cell-death responses in AD pathology, consistent with PAWR's documented role in promoting apoptosis and potential involvement in APP/BACE1-mediated amyloid processing.