Structural highlights
Disease
BCL2_HUMAN Note=A chromosomal aberration involving BCL2 has been found in chronic lymphatic leukemia. Translocation t(14;18)(q32;q21) with immunoglobulin gene regions. BCL2 mutations found in non-Hodgkin lymphomas carrying the chromosomal translocation could be attributed to the Ig somatic hypermutation mechanism resulting in nucleotide transitions.
Function
BCL2_HUMAN Suppresses apoptosis in a variety of cell systems including factor-dependent lymphohematopoietic and neural cells. Regulates cell death by controlling the mitochondrial membrane permeability. Appears to function in a feedback loop system with caspases. Inhibits caspase activity either by preventing the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria and/or by binding to the apoptosis-activating factor (APAF-1).[1] B2CL1_HUMAN Potent inhibitor of cell death. Inhibits activation of caspases (By similarity). Appears to regulate cell death by blocking the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) by binding to it and preventing the release of the caspase activator, CYC1, from the mitochondrial membrane. Also acts as a regulator of G2 checkpoint and progression to cytokinesis during mitosis.[2] [3] Isoform Bcl-X(S) promotes apoptosis.[4] [5]
Publication Abstract from PubMed
Stimulation of autophagy could provide powerful therapies for multiple diseases, including cancer and neurodegeneration. An attractive drug target for this purpose is Bcl-2, which inhibits autophagy by binding to the Beclin 1 BH3-domain. However, compounds that preclude Beclin 1/Bcl-2 binding might also induce apoptosis, which is inhibited by binding of Bcl-2 to BH3-domains of pro-apoptosis factors such as Bax. Here we describe the NMR structure of Bcl-2 bound to 35, a compound that we recently found to inhibit Beclin 1/Bcl-2 binding more potently than Bax/Bcl-2 binding. The structure shows that 35 binds at one end of the BH3-binding groove of Bcl-2. Interestingly, much of the 35-binding site is not involved in binding to Bcl-2 inhibitors described previously and mediates binding to Beclin 1 but not Bax. The structure suggests potential avenues to design compounds that disrupt Beclin 1/Bcl-2 binding and stimulate autophagy without inducing apoptosis.
Structural insights for selective disruption of Beclin 1 binding to Bcl-2.,Pan YZ, Liang Q, Tomchick DR, De Brabander JK, Rizo J Commun Biol. 2023 Oct 24;6(1):1080. doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-05467-w. PMID:37875561[6]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
- ↑ Wei Y, Pattingre S, Sinha S, Bassik M, Levine B. JNK1-mediated phosphorylation of Bcl-2 regulates starvation-induced autophagy. Mol Cell. 2008 Jun 20;30(6):678-88. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2008.06.001. PMID:18570871 doi:10.1016/j.molcel.2008.06.001
- ↑ Terrano DT, Upreti M, Chambers TC. Cyclin-dependent kinase 1-mediated Bcl-xL/Bcl-2 phosphorylation acts as a functional link coupling mitotic arrest and apoptosis. Mol Cell Biol. 2010 Feb;30(3):640-56. doi: 10.1128/MCB.00882-09. Epub 2009 Nov, 16. PMID:19917720 doi:10.1128/MCB.00882-09
- ↑ Wang J, Beauchemin M, Bertrand R. Bcl-xL phosphorylation at Ser49 by polo kinase 3 during cell cycle progression and checkpoints. Cell Signal. 2011 Dec;23(12):2030-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2011.07.017. Epub, 2011 Aug 5. PMID:21840391 doi:10.1016/j.cellsig.2011.07.017
- ↑ Terrano DT, Upreti M, Chambers TC. Cyclin-dependent kinase 1-mediated Bcl-xL/Bcl-2 phosphorylation acts as a functional link coupling mitotic arrest and apoptosis. Mol Cell Biol. 2010 Feb;30(3):640-56. doi: 10.1128/MCB.00882-09. Epub 2009 Nov, 16. PMID:19917720 doi:10.1128/MCB.00882-09
- ↑ Wang J, Beauchemin M, Bertrand R. Bcl-xL phosphorylation at Ser49 by polo kinase 3 during cell cycle progression and checkpoints. Cell Signal. 2011 Dec;23(12):2030-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2011.07.017. Epub, 2011 Aug 5. PMID:21840391 doi:10.1016/j.cellsig.2011.07.017
- ↑ Pan YZ, Liang Q, Tomchick DR, De Brabander JK, Rizo J. Structural insights for selective disruption of Beclin 1 binding to Bcl-2. Commun Biol. 2023 Oct 24;6(1):1080. PMID:37875561 doi:10.1038/s42003-023-05467-w
