Building blocks of the apoptotic pore: how Bax and Bak are activated and oligomerize during apoptosis.
- Author(s)
- Westphal, D; Kluck, RM; Dewson, G;
- Details
- Publication Year 2013-10,Volume 21,Issue #2,Page 196-205
- Journal Title
- Cell Death Differ
- Publication Type
- Journal Article
- Abstract
- The central role of the Bcl-2 family in regulating apoptotic cell death was first identified in the 1980s. Since then, significant in-roads have been made in identifying the multiple members of this family, characterizing their form and function and understanding how their interactions determine whether a cell lives or dies. In this review we focus on the recent progress made in characterizing the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members, Bax and Bak. This progress has resolved longstanding controversies, but has also challenged established theories in the apoptosis field. We will discuss different models of how these two proteins become activated and different 'modes' by which they are inhibited by other Bcl-2 family members. We will also discuss novel conformation changes leading to Bak and Bax oligomerization and speculate how these oligomers might permeabilize the mitochondrial outer membrane.
- Publisher
- NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
- Research Division(s)
- Molecular Genetics Of Cancer; Cell Signalling And Cell Death
- Publisher's Version
- https://doi.org/10.1038/cdd.2013.139
- Terms of Use/Rights Notice
- © 2014 ADMC Associazione Differenziamento e Morte Cellulare
Creation Date: 2014-01-14 03:36:33
Last Modified: 2014-11-24 12:58:07