Structural basis for proapoptotic activation of Bak by the noncanonical BH3-only protein Pxt1.

ABSTRACT: Bak is a critical executor of apoptosis belonging to the Bcl-2 protein family. Bak contains a hydrophobic groove where the BH3 domain of proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members can be accommodated, which initiates its activation. Once activated, Bak undergoes a conformational change to oligomerize, which leads to mitochondrial destabilization and the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol and eventual apoptotic cell death. In this study, we investigated the molecular aspects and functional consequences of the interaction between Bak and peroxisomal testis-specific 1 (Pxt1), a noncanonical BH3-only protein exclusively expressed in the testis. Together with various biochemical approaches, this interaction was verified and analyzed at the atomic level by determining the crystal structure of the B

SUBMITTER: Lim D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10298792 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature