title: The BAG proteins: a ubiquitous family of chaperone regulators.
abstract: The BAG (Bcl-2 associated athanogene) family is a multifunctional group of proteins that perform diverse functions ranging from apoptosis to tumorigenesis. An evolutionarily conserved group, these proteins are distinguished by a common conserved region known as the BAG domain. BAG genes have been found in yeasts, plants, and animals, and are believed to function as adapter proteins forming complexes with signaling molecules and molecular chaperones. In humans, a role for BAG proteins has been suggested in carcinogenesis, HIV infection, and Parkinson's disease. These proteins are therefore potential therapeutic targets, and their expression in cells may serve as a predictive tool for such diseases. In plants, the Arabidopsis thaliana genome contains seven homologs of the BAG family, including four with domain organization similar to animal BAGs. Three members contain a calmodulin-binding domain possibly reflecting differences between plant and animal programmed cell death. This review summarizes current understanding of BAG proteins in both animals and plants.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Plant Genomics and Biotechnology, Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kabbage
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Dickman
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D020171:Botrytis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C091732:BCL2-associated athanogene 1 protein; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors