title: What's in the 'BAG'?--A functional domain analysis of the BAG-family proteins.
abstract: Bcl-2-associated athanogene (BAG)-family proteins are BAG domain-containing proteins that interact with the heat shock proteins 70, both constitutive Hsc70 and inducible Hsp70. BAG-family proteins bind through the BAG domain to the ATPase domain of Hsc70/Hsp70. The BAG domain, approximately 110 amino acids in length, is a conserved region at the carboxyl terminus and consists of three anti-parallel alpha helices based on X-ray crystallography and NMR studies. The second and third alpha-helices of the BAG domain interact with the ATP-binding pocket of Hsc70/Hsp70. Currently, six human BAG proteins have been reported, four of which have been shown to functionally bind Hsc70/Hsp70. BAG-family proteins regulate chaperone protein activities through their interaction with Hsc70/Hsp70. Over-expression of BAG-family proteins is found in several cancers and has been demonstrated in the laboratory to enhance cell survival and proliferation. The anti-apoptotic activities of BAG-family proteins may be dependent on their interactions with Hsc70/Hsp70 and/or binding to Bcl-2. Both BAG-1 and BAG-3/CAIR-1 interact with Bcl-2 and have been shown to have a supra-additive anti-apoptotic effect with Bcl-2. Several N-terminal domains or motifs have been identified in BAG-family proteins as well. These domains enable BAG-family proteins to partner with other proteins and potentially alter the activity of those target proteins by recruiting Hsc70/Hsp70. BAG-family proteins participate in a wide variety of cellular processes including cell survival (stress response), proliferation, migration and apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Signaling Section, Laboratory of Pathology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. hdoong@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Doong
authors.forename: Alysia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vrailas
authors.forename: Elise C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Kohn
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017209:Apoptosis; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: C091732:BCL2-associated athanogene 1 protein; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors