2k7w is a 2 chain structure with sequence from Human. Full experimental information is available from OCA. For a guided tour on the structure components use FirstGlance.
[BAX_HUMAN] Accelerates programmed cell death by binding to, and antagonizing the apoptosis repressor BCL2 or its adenovirus homolog E1B 19k protein. Under stress conditions, undergoes a conformation change that causes translocation to the mitochondrion membrane, leading to the release of cytochrome c that then triggers apoptosis. Promotes activation of CASP3, and thereby apoptosis.[1][2][3][4][5][6] [B2L11_HUMAN] Induces apoptosis and anoikis. Isoform BimL is more potent than isoform BimEL. Isoform Bim-alpha1, isoform Bim-alpha2 and isoform Bim-alpha3 induce apoptosis, although less potent than isoform BimEL, isoform BimL and isoform BimS. Isoform Bim-gamma induces apoptosis. Isoform Bim-alpha3 induces apoptosis possibly through a caspase-mediated pathway. Isoform BimAC and isoform BimABC lack the ability to induce apoptosis.[7][8][9][10][11][12]
Evolutionary Conservation
Check, as determined by ConSurfDB. You may read the explanation of the method and the full data available from ConSurf.
Publication Abstract from PubMed
BAX is a pro-apoptotic protein of the BCL-2 family that is stationed in the cytosol until activated by a diversity of stress stimuli to induce cell death. Anti-apoptotic proteins such as BCL-2 counteract BAX-mediated cell death. Although an interaction site that confers survival functionality has been defined for anti-apoptotic proteins, an activation site has not been identified for BAX, rendering its explicit trigger mechanism unknown. We previously developed stabilized alpha-helix of BCL-2 domains (SAHBs) that directly initiate BAX-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis. Here we demonstrate by NMR analysis that BIM SAHB binds BAX at an interaction site that is distinct from the canonical binding groove characterized for anti-apoptotic proteins. The specificity of the human BIM-SAHB-BAX interaction is highlighted by point mutagenesis that disrupts functional activity, confirming that BAX activation is initiated at this novel structural location. Thus, we have now defined a BAX interaction site for direct activation, establishing a new target for therapeutic modulation of apoptosis.
BAX activation is initiated at a novel interaction site.,Gavathiotis E, Suzuki M, Davis ML, Pitter K, Bird GH, Katz SG, Tu HC, Kim H, Cheng EH, Tjandra N, Walensky LD Nature. 2008 Oct 23;455(7216):1076-81. PMID:18948948[13]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
↑Oltvai ZN, Milliman CL, Korsmeyer SJ. Bcl-2 heterodimerizes in vivo with a conserved homolog, Bax, that accelerates programmed cell death. Cell. 1993 Aug 27;74(4):609-19. PMID:8358790
↑Schmitt E, Paquet C, Beauchemin M, Dever-Bertrand J, Bertrand R. Characterization of Bax-sigma, a cell death-inducing isoform of Bax. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2000 Apr 21;270(3):868-79. PMID:10772918 doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1006/bbrc.2000.2537
↑Chittenden T, Flemington C, Houghton AB, Ebb RG, Gallo GJ, Elangovan B, Chinnadurai G, Lutz RJ. A conserved domain in Bak, distinct from BH1 and BH2, mediates cell death and protein binding functions. EMBO J. 1995 Nov 15;14(22):5589-96. PMID:8521816
↑Zhang H, Kim JK, Edwards CA, Xu Z, Taichman R, Wang CY. Clusterin inhibits apoptosis by interacting with activated Bax. Nat Cell Biol. 2005 Sep;7(9):909-15. Epub 2005 Aug 21. PMID:16113678 doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncb1291
↑Gavathiotis E, Suzuki M, Davis ML, Pitter K, Bird GH, Katz SG, Tu HC, Kim H, Cheng EH, Tjandra N, Walensky LD. BAX activation is initiated at a novel interaction site. Nature. 2008 Oct 23;455(7216):1076-81. PMID:18948948 doi:10.1038/nature07396
↑Czabotar PE, Lee EF, Thompson GV, Wardak AZ, Fairlie WD, Colman PM. Mutation to Bax beyond the BH3 domain disrupts interactions with pro-survival proteins and promotes apoptosis. J Biol Chem. 2011 Mar 4;286(9):7123-31. Epub 2011 Jan 3. PMID:21199865 doi:10.1074/jbc.M110.161281
↑O'Connor L, Strasser A, O'Reilly LA, Hausmann G, Adams JM, Cory S, Huang DC. Bim: a novel member of the Bcl-2 family that promotes apoptosis. EMBO J. 1998 Jan 15;17(2):384-95. PMID:9430630 doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/emboj/17.2.384
↑U M, Miyashita T, Shikama Y, Tadokoro K, Yamada M. Molecular cloning and characterization of six novel isoforms of human Bim, a member of the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family. FEBS Lett. 2001 Nov 30;509(1):135-41. PMID:11734221
↑Liu JW, Chandra D, Tang SH, Chopra D, Tang DG. Identification and characterization of Bimgamma, a novel proapoptotic BH3-only splice variant of Bim. Cancer Res. 2002 May 15;62(10):2976-81. PMID:12019181
↑Marani M, Tenev T, Hancock D, Downward J, Lemoine NR. Identification of novel isoforms of the BH3 domain protein Bim which directly activate Bax to trigger apoptosis. Mol Cell Biol. 2002 Jun;22(11):3577-89. PMID:11997495
↑Chen JZ, Ji CN, Gu SH, Li JX, Zhao EP, Huang Y, Huang L, Ying K, Xie Y, Mao YM. Over-expression of Bim alpha3, a novel isoform of human Bim, result in cell apoptosis. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2004 Aug;36(8):1554-61. PMID:15147734 doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocel.2003.12.015
↑Fukazawa H, Noguchi K, Masumi A, Murakami Y, Uehara Y. BimEL is an important determinant for induction of anoikis sensitivity by mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase inhibitors. Mol Cancer Ther. 2004 Oct;3(10):1281-8. PMID:15486195
↑Gavathiotis E, Suzuki M, Davis ML, Pitter K, Bird GH, Katz SG, Tu HC, Kim H, Cheng EH, Tjandra N, Walensky LD. BAX activation is initiated at a novel interaction site. Nature. 2008 Oct 23;455(7216):1076-81. PMID:18948948 doi:10.1038/nature07396
