title: Bcl-2 heterodimerizes in vivo with a conserved homolog, Bax, that accelerates programmed cell death.
abstract: Bcl-2 protein is able to repress a number of apoptotic death programs. To investigate the mechanism of Bcl-2's effect, we examined whether Bcl-2 interacted with other proteins. We identified an associated 21 kd protein partner, Bax, that has extensive amino acid homology with Bcl-2, focused within highly conserved domains I and II. Bax is encoded by six exons and demonstrates a complex pattern of alternative RNA splicing that predicts a 21 kd membrane (alpha) and two forms of cytosolic protein (beta and gamma). Bax homodimerizes and forms heterodimers with Bcl-2 in vivo. Overexpressed Bax accelerates apoptotic death induced by cytokine deprivation in an IL-3-dependent cell line. Overexpressed Bax also counters the death repressor activity of Bcl-2. These data suggest a model in which the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax determines survival or death following an apoptotic stimulus.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110.
authors.forename: Z N
authors.initials: ZN
authors.lastname: Oltvai
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Milliman
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Korsmeyer
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D006801:Humans; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: C494826:BAX protein, human; C494827:Bax protein, mouse; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein