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- Title
Bim: a novel member of the Bcl-2 family that promotes apoptosis.
- Authors
O'Connor, L; Strasser, A; O'Reilly, L A; Hausmann, G; Adams, J M; Cory, S; Huang, D C
- Abstract
Certain members of the Bcl-2 family inhibit apoptosis while others facilitate this physiological process of cell death. An expression screen for proteins that bind to Bcl-2 yielded a small novel protein, denoted Bim, whose only similarity to any known protein is the short (nine amino acid) BH3 motif shared by most Bcl-2 homologues. Bim provokes apoptosis, and the BH3 region is required for Bcl-2 binding and for most of its cytotoxicity. Like Bcl-2, Bim possesses a hydrophobic C-terminus and localizes to intracytoplasmic membranes. Three Bim isoforms, probably generated by alternative splicing, all induce apoptosis, the shortest being the most potent. Wild-type Bcl-2 associates with Bim in vivo and modulates its death function, whereas Bcl-2 mutants that lack survival function do neither. Significantly, Bcl-xL and Bcl-w, the two closest homologues of Bcl-2, also bind to Bim and inhibit its activity, but more distant viral homologues, adenovirus E1B19K and Epstein-Barr virus BHRF-1, can do neither. Hence, Bim appears to act as a 'death ligand' which can only neutralize certain members of the pro-survival Bcl-2 sub-family.
- Publication
The EMBO journal, 1998, Vol 17, Issue 2, p384
- ISSN
0261-4189
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1093/emboj/17.2.384