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. 1995 Apr 20;374(6524):736-9.
doi: 10.1038/374736a0.

Modulation of apoptosis by the widely distributed Bcl-2 homologue Bak

M C Kiefer  1 , M J Brauer, V C Powers, J J Wu, S R Umansky, L D Tomei, P J Barr
Affiliations

Modulation of apoptosis by the widely distributed Bcl-2 homologue Bak

M C Kiefer et al. Nature. .

Abstract

Members of the Bcl-2 family of proteins are characterized by their ability to modulate cell death. Bcl-2 and some of its homologues inhibit apoptosis, whereas other family members, such as Bax, will accelerate apoptosis under certain conditions. Here we describe the identification and characterization of a complementary DNA that encodes a previously unknown Bcl-2 homologue designated Bak. Like Bax, the bak gene product primarily enhances apoptotic cell death following an appropriate stimulus. Unlike Bax, however, Bak can inhibit cell death in an Epstein-Barr-virus-transformed cell line. The widespread tissue distribution of Bak messenger RNA, including those containing long-lived, terminally differentiated cell types, suggests that cell-death-inducing activity is broadly distributed, and that tissue-specific modulation of apoptosis is controlled primarily by regulation of molecules that inhibit apoptosis.

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