Mcl-1.
Mcl-1 is a Bcl-2 family protein which can act as an apical molecule in apoptosis control, promoting cell survival by interfering at an early stage in a cascade of events leading to release of cytochrome c from mitochondria. Mcl-1 has a short half life and is a highly regulated protein, induced by a wide range of survival signals and also rapidly down regulated during apoptosis. Mcl-1 can also readily be cleaved by caspases during apoptosis to produce a cell death promoting molecule. The multiple levels of control of Mcl-1 expression suggest that Mcl-1 plays a critical role in controlling life and death decisions in response to rapidly changing environmental cues and Mcl-1 is required for embryonic development and the function of the immune system. Expression of Mcl-1 may be useful in informing decision making in the treatment of various cancers, and countering Mcl-1 function may be an attractive therapeutic strategy in malignancy, inflammatory conditions and infectious disease where Mcl-1 may play a major role in suppressing apoptosis.
Cancer Research UK Oncology Unit, The Somers Cancer Research Building (MP824), University of Southampton School of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK.
Jorg
J
Michels
Peter W M
PW
Johnson
Graham
G
Packham
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D045304:Cytochromes c; D020169:Caspases