August 28, 1998Science
The Bcl-2 Protein Family: Arbiters of Cell Survival
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Implication
Review reveals competing Bcl-2 family interactions determining caspase activation in mammalian cells, suggesting pivotal mechanisms in tissue homeostasis and oncogenesis.
Key Points
- To outline how the Bcl-2 protein family and related cytoplasmic factors regulate programmed cell death and govern cell survival.
- Review and synthesis of molecular evidence examining pro-survival versus pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family protein interactions and downstream caspase activation.
- Pro-survival Bcl-2 relatives promote cell longevity by inhibiting adapter proteins required to activate destructive caspase proteases.
- Pro-apoptotic members counteract survival signals by displacing adapters from pro-survival proteins, setting a functional balance that dictates cell fate.
- Perturbations and mutations within Bcl-2 family signaling disrupt organ maintenance and directly contribute to cancer pathogenesis.
Cite This Study
Adams et al. (1998) studied this question.