title: Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL play important roles in the crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis.
abstract: Autophagy and apoptosis play important roles in the development, cellular homeostasis and, especially, oncogenesis of mammals. They may be triggered by common upstream signals, resulting in combined autophagy and apoptosis. In other instances, they may be mutually exclusive. Recent studies have suggested possible molecular mechanisms for crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis. Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, the well-characterized apoptosis guards, appear to be important factors in autophagy, inhibiting Beclin 1-mediated autophagy by binding to Beclin 1. In addition, Beclin 1, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL can cooperate with Atg5 or Ca(2+) to regulate both autophagy and apoptosis. Thus, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL represent a molecular link between autophagy and apoptosis. Here, we discuss the possible roles of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL in apoptosis and autophagy, and the crosstalk between them.
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Laser Life Science & Institute of Laser Life Science, College of Biophotonics, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Feifan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Da
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xing
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051020:bcl-X Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases