Biophysical Studies on BEX3, the p75NTR-Associated Cell Death Executor, Reveal a High-Order Oligomer with Partially Folded Regions.

ABSTRACT: BEX3 (Brain Expressed X-linked protein 3) is a member of a mammal-specific placental protein family. Several studies have found the BEX proteins to be associated with neurodegeneration, the cell cycle and cancer. BEX3 has been predicted to be intrinsically disordered and also to represent an intracellular hub for cell signaling. The pro-apoptotic activity of BEX3 in association with a number of additional proteins has been widely supported; however, to the best of our knowledge, very limited data are available on the conformation of any of the members of the BEX family. In this study, we structurally characterized BEX3 using biophysical experimental data. Small angle X-ray scattering and atomic force microscopy revealed that BEX3 forms a specific higher-order oligomer that is consistent wi

SUBMITTER: Cabral KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4575080 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature