[Prevention of cell death by Bcl-2 family genes].
Apoptosis is a tightly regulated and evolutionally conserved suicide mechanism. Proteases encoded by ced-3 and ice gene family appear to play a key role in driving apoptosis. On the other hand, Bcl-2 and its relatives have the ability to inhibit apoptosis induced by a variety of stimuli, indicating that Bcl-2 family negatively regulates a key event in a common pathway of apoptosis in which different apoptotic signals finally converge, although the biochemical basis of the function remains unknown. Here, I overview Bcl-2 gene family, and discuss the molecular basis of anti-apoptotic activity of Bcl-2, focusing on our recent findings on Bcl-2 function in mitochondria.
Tsujimoto
Y
Y
Dept. of Medical Genetics, Osaka University Medical School.
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008928:Mitochondria; D009336:Necrosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2