title: In vitro analysis of Bcl-2 proteins in mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum: similarities in anti-apoptotic functions and differences in regulation.
abstract: Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 localizes in the membranes of mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and resists a broad range of apoptotic stimuli. However, the precise function of Bcl-2 in ER is still unclear. We herein examined the anti-apoptotic potencies of Bcl-2 in mitochondria and ER in vitro. The mitochondria isolated from HeLa cells, which have little or practically no Bcl-2, were apoptosis-competent. That is, membrane-bound Bax was activated and cytochrome c was released when the isolated mitochondria were incubated at 35 degrees C. Cytochrome c release from the apoptosis-competent mitochondria was suppressed by co-incubation with the mitochondria with overexpressed Bcl-2 (Bcl-2 mitochondria), suggesting that Bcl-2 anchored in one mitochondrion can suppress cytochrome c release from another mitochondrion. Similar results were obtained when microsomes with overexpressed Bcl-2 (Bcl-2 microsomes) were co-incubated with apoptosis-competent mitochondria. A quantitative titration analysis showed that Bcl-2 in the ER suppresses cytochrome c release as efficiently as that in the mitochondria. An immunoprecipitation assay showed that Bcl-2 in both mitochondria and ER binds to Bax at almost the same degree. However, in the presence of tBid, co-incubation of apoptosis-competent mitochondria with Bcl-2 microsomes, but not with Bcl-2 mitochondria, diminished the Bax-binding to Bcl-2 significantly, suggesting that Bcl-2 in ER is readily inactivated by tBid. Co-incubation assay further confirmed that Bcl-2 in the ER, but not Bcl-2 in the mitochondria, is potentially inactivated by tBid. Our quantitative in vitro studies indicate that Bcl-2 in mitochondria and ER are similarly potent in inhibiting Bax-associated apoptosis of other mitochondria, but are regulated by tBid differently.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Honjo 1-1-1, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan. myano@gpo.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Terada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gotoh
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D051023:BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008861:Microsomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D013696:Temperature; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism