Blk, a BH3-containing mouse protein that interacts with Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, is a potent death agonist.
We identified and cloned a novel murine member of the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family. This protein, designated Blk, is structurally and functionally related to human Bik and localized to the mitochondrial membrane. Blk contains a conserved BH3 domain and can interact with the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Ectopic expression of ... Blk in mammalian cells induces apoptosis, which can be inhibited by mutations in the BH3 domain and by overexpression of Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL but not by CrmA. The apoptotic activity of Blk is also inhibited by a dominant negative caspase-9, suggesting that Blk induces apoptosis through activation of the cytochrome c-Apaf-1-caspase-9 pathway.
Mesh Terms:
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing, Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Apoptosis, Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins, Carrier Proteins, Cloning, Molecular, DNA, Complementary, Humans, Membrane Proteins, Mice, Mitochondria, Mitochondrial Proteins, Molecular Sequence Data, Organ Specificity, Proteins, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2, bcl-X Protein
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing, Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Apoptosis, Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins, Carrier Proteins, Cloning, Molecular, DNA, Complementary, Humans, Membrane Proteins, Mice, Mitochondria, Mitochondrial Proteins, Molecular Sequence Data, Organ Specificity, Proteins, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2, bcl-X Protein
J. Biol. Chem.
Date: Apr. 03, 1998
PubMed ID: 9525867
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