title: BOK: Oddball of the BCL-2 Family.
abstract: BOK is a BCL-2 family member whose function has been difficult to elucidate. It has been recently demonstrated that BOK is regulated by the endoplasmic reticulum associated-degradation (ERAD) pathway, can induce mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP), and is not regulated by other members of the BCL-2 family. These findings demonstrate a novel mechanism for regulation of apoptosis, but it remains unclear in which specific contexts this mechanism may be most essential for cell death.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Brem
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA. Electronic address: anthony_letai@dfci.haravrd.edu.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Letai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D059865:Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
keywords: Bcl-2 family; Bok; ERAD pathway; apoptosis