title: Modulation of apoptosis by the widely distributed Bcl-2 homologue Bak.
abstract: Members of the Bcl-2 family of proteins are characterized by their ability to modulate cell death. Bcl-2 and some of its homologues inhibit apoptosis, whereas other family members, such as Bax, will accelerate apoptosis under certain conditions. Here we describe the identification and characterization of a complementary DNA that encodes a previously unknown Bcl-2 homologue designated Bak. Like Bax, the bak gene product primarily enhances apoptotic cell death following an appropriate stimulus. Unlike Bax, however, Bak can inhibit cell death in an Epstein-Barr-virus-transformed cell line. The widespread tissue distribution of Bak messenger RNA, including those containing long-lived, terminally differentiated cell types, suggests that cell-death-inducing activity is broadly distributed, and that tissue-specific modulation of apoptosis is controlled primarily by regulation of molecules that inhibit apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: LXR Biotechnology Inc., Richmond, California 94804, USA.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kiefer
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Brauer
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Powers
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Umansky
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Tomei
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Barr
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D006801:Humans; D006822:Hybrid Cells; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein
chemical_list: C494772:BAK1 protein, human; C494773:Bak1 protein, mouse; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein