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Double identity for proteins of the Bcl-2 family

Nature volume 387, pages 773–776 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

Bcl-2 is an oncogenic protein that acts by inhibiting programmed cell death. The mechanisms used by this and related anti-apoptotic proteins to protect cells from cytotoxic stimuli are now emerging, with the discovery that Bcl-2 can function both as an ion channel and as an adaptor or docking protein.

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Figure 1: Model for CED-4-mediated bridging of Bcl-2/Bcl-XL to caspases.
Figure 2: Multifunctional Bcl-2 protein.
Figure 3: Multifunctional Bcl-2 protein.

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Acknowledgements

I thank M. Montal, S. Schendel and S. Choe for discussions on channel proteins, and D. Bredesen and G. Salvesen for critically reviewing the manuscript.

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  1. Burnham Institute, Program on Apoptosis and Cell Death Research, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, 92037, California, USA

    John C. Reed

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Reed, J. Double identity for proteins of the Bcl-2 family. Nature 387, 773–776 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/42867

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