The channel of death.
The proapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family have been proposed to participate in the formation of a channel that releases these apoptogenic factors when mitochondria receive apoptotic signals. A recent study provides the first direct, biophysical measurement of a potentially apoptosis-specific mitochondrial channel, which is regulated by Bcl-2 family members and may play a primary role in the release of the proapoptotic factors.
Degterev
A
A
Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Boyce
M
M
Yuan
J
J
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*
D007473:Ion Channels; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2