Stepwise activation of BAX and BAK by tBID, BIM, and PUMA initiates mitochondrial apoptosis.

Abstract excerpt

While activation of BAX/BAK by BH3-only molecules (BH3s) is essential for mitochondrial apoptosis, the underlying mechanisms remain unsettled. Here we demonstrate that BAX undergoes stepwise structural reorganization leading to mitochondrial targeting and homo-oligomerization. The alpha1 helix of BAX keeps the alpha9 helix engaged in the dimerization pocket, rendering BAX as a monomer in cytosol. The activator...

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• bcl-2-Associated X Protein
• bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein
• Bcl-2-Like Protein 11
• BH3 Interacting Domain Death Agonist Protein
• Etoposide