title: Yeast as a tool for studying proteins of the Bcl-2 family.
abstract: Permeabilization of the outer mitochondrial membrane that leads to the release of cytochromecand several other apoptogenic proteins from mitochondria into cytosol represents a commitment point of apoptotic pathway in mammalian cells. This crucial event is governed by proteins of the Bcl-2 family. Molecular mechanisms, by which Bcl-2 family proteins permeabilize mitochondrial membrane, remain under dispute. Although yeast does not have apparent homologues of these proteins, when mammalian members of Bcl-2 family are expressed in yeast, they retain their activity, making yeast an attractive model system, in which to study their action. This review focuses on using yeast expressing mammalian proteins of the Bcl-2 family as a tool to investigate mechanisms, by which these proteins permeabilize mitochondrial membranes, mechanisms, by which pro- and antiapoptotic members of this family interact, and involvement of other cellular components in the regulation of programmed cell death by Bcl-2 family proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Polčic
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jaká
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mentel
keywords: BH3-only; Bax; Bcl-2 family; Bcl-XL; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; yeast