BH3-only BCL-2 family proteins are effectors of canonical mitochondrial apoptosis. They discharge their pro-apoptotic functions through BH1-3 pro-apoptotic proteins such as BAX and BAK, while their activity is suppressed by BH1-4 anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family members.

The BH3-only subset of the Bcl-2 family of proteins contain only a single BH3-domain. The BH3-only members play a key role in promoting apoptosis. The BH3-only family members are Bim, Bid, BAD and others.

BID is a pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein containing only the BH3 domain. In response to apoptotic signaling, BID interacts with another Bcl-2 family protein, Bax, leading to the insertion of Bax into organelle membranes, primarily the outer mitochondrial membrane.

BH3-only proteins are essential for initiating apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. Elucidating which of the pro-apoptotic BH3-only proteins are essential for the killing of malignant cells by conventional and targeted anti-cancer agents can provide valuable insights into why certain therapies succeed in some patients but fail in others.

Apr 1, 2011 · BH3-only proteins promote apoptosis by both directly activating Bax and Bak and by suppressing the anti-apoptotic proteins at the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum.

Feb 18, 2005 · BH3-only proteins are essential for the initiation of programmed cell death and stress-induced apoptosis in species as distantly related as nematodes and mice. Mammals have at...

BH3-only proteins are the sentinels of cellular stress, and their activation commits cells to apoptosis. Since the discovery of the first BH3-only protein BAD almost 20 years ago, at least seven more BH3-only proteins have been identified in mammals.

In the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, a subclass of BCL-2 family proteins called the BH3-only proteins are responsible for triggering apoptosis in response to varied cellular stress cues. The mechanisms by which they are regulated are tied to the type of cellular stress they sense.

Jul 30, 2009 · The BH3-only proteins activate apoptosis by binding and neutralizing the pro-survival proteins, allowing Bax/Bak to homo-oligomerize and permeabilize the mitochondria.

Jul 30, 2009 · BH3-only BCL-2 family proteins are effectors of canonical mitochondrial apoptosis. They discharge their pro-apoptotic functions through BH1–3 pro-apoptotic proteins such as BAX and BAK,...