The bcl-2 gene encodes a novel G protein.
Little is known about the biochemical or functional nature of the proteins encoded by the bcl-2 gene, which undergoes chromosomal translocation in approximately 85% of follicular lymphoma, 20% of diffuse large cell lymphoma and 10% of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia of B cells. Translocation of bcl-2 sequences from chromosome 18 to the JH segment of the immunoglobulin gene at chromosome band 14q32 in B cells results in deregulated expression of this gene, causing high steady state levels of bcl-2 messenger RNA2. DNA sequence data indicate that bcl-2 encodes two proteins by virtue of alternative splicing, designated as Bcl-2 alpha and Bcl-2 beta, with relative molecular masses of 26,000 and 22,000 respectively. Cell fractionation experiments indicate that the bcl-2 alpha gene product is located at the inner surface of the cell membrane, suggesting a possible role in mitogenic signal transduction. We report here that Bcl-2 alpha has GTP-binding activity and a protein sequence that suggests it belongs to the small molecular weight GTP-binding protein (G protein) family.
Haldar
S
S
Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140.
Beatty
C
C
Tsujimoto
Y
Y
Croce
C M
CM
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000939:Epitopes; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
D000939:Epitopes; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D006160:Guanosine Triphosphate; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins