title: BAX and BAK caught in the act.
abstract: In this issue of Molecular Cell, Kim et al. (2009) describe the steps involved in the direct activation of the proapoptotic proteins BAX and BAK by their BH3-only partners, resolving the controversy regarding direct versus indirect activation of these proteins.
authors.affiliation: Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Francesca M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Marassi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051023:BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D011485:Protein Binding; D055503:Protein Multimerization; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D051023:BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein; C494773:Bak1 protein, mouse; C494827:Bax protein, mouse; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; C000606776:Bcl2l11 protein, mouse; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C488588:PUMA protein, mouse; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein