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Breaking the mitochondrial barrier

Abstract

Pro- and anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family control the permeability of the outer mitochondrial membrane. They could do this either by forming autonomous pores in the membrane or by collaborating with components of the permeability transition pore. Here we discuss why we favour the first of these possibilities.

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Figure 1: Activation of Bax and Bak by BH3-only proteins.
Figure 2: Two models for permeabilization of the outer mitochondrial membrane.

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Acknowledgements

We thank B. Antonsson, S. Desagher, M. Koco–Vilbois, K. Maundrell, S. Montessuit, O. Terradillos and X. Roucou for critical reading of the manuscript.

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DATABASE LINKS

Apaf-1

Smac

AIF

Bcl-2

Bcl-xL

Bax

Bak

Bid

Bad

Bim

cyclophilin D

Bok

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LIFE SCIENCES

Apoptosis: molecular mechanisms

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Martinou, JC., Green, D. Breaking the mitochondrial barrier. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2, 63–67 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35048069

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