title: Getting away with murder: how does the BCL-2 family of proteins kill with immunity?
abstract: The adult human body produces approximately one million white blood cells every second. However, only a small fraction of the cells will survive because the majority is eliminated through a genetically controlled form of cell death known as apoptosis. This review places into perspective recent studies pertaining to the BCL-2 family of proteins as critical regulators of the development and function of the immune system, with particular attention on B cell and T cell biology. Here we discuss how elegant murine model systems have revealed the major contributions of the BCL-2 family in establishing an effective immune system. Moreover, we highlight some key regulatory pathways that influence the expression, function, and stability of individual BCL-2 family members, and discuss their role in immunity. From lethal mechanisms to more gentle ones, the final portion of the review discusses the nonapoptotic functions of the BCL-2 family and how they pertain to the control of immunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncological Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Thibaud T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Renault
authors.forename: Jerry E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Chipuk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology*; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2