title: Bax mitochondrial relocation is linked to its phosphorylation and its interaction with Bcl-xL.
abstract: The heterologous expression of Bax, and other Bcl-2 family members, in the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae, has proved to be a valuable reporter system to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying their interaction with mitochondria. By combining the co-expression of Bax and Bcl-xL mutants with analyzes of their localization and interaction in mitochondria and post-mitochondrial supernatants, we showed that the ability of Bax and Bcl-xL to interact is dependent both on Bax phosphorylation - mimicked by a substitution S184D - and by Bax and Bcl-xL localization. This, and previous data, provide the molecular basis for a model of dynamic equilibrium for Bax localization and activation, regulated both by phosphorylation and Bcl-xL.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biochimie et de Génétique Cellulaires, UMR5095, CNRS & Université de Bordeaux, CS61390, 146 Rue Léo Saignat, 33077 Bordeaux, France. ; Present address: INRA, UMR1332, 71 Avenue Edouard Bourlaud, 33882 Villenave d'Ornon, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garenne
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biochimie et de Génétique Cellulaires, UMR5095, CNRS & Université de Bordeaux, CS61390, 146 Rue Léo Saignat, 33077 Bordeaux, France. ; Present address: Department of Regulation in Infection Biology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Thibaud T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Renault
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biochimie et de Génétique Cellulaires, UMR5095, CNRS & Université de Bordeaux, CS61390, 146 Rue Léo Saignat, 33077 Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Stéphen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manon
keywords: Bax; Bcl-xL; apoptosis; cytochrome c release; mitochondria; phosphorylation; yeast (S.cerevisiae)