Mcl-1 and Bok Transmembrane Domains: Unexpected Players in the Modulation of Apoptosis
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117 (2020) 27980-27988
The Bcl-2 protein family comprises both pro- and antiapoptotic members that control the permeabilization of the mitochondrial outer membrane, a crucial step in the modulation of apoptosis. Recent research has demonstrated that the carboxyl-terminal transmembrane domain (TMD) of some Bcl-2 protein family members can modulate apoptosis; however, the transmembrane interactome of the antiapoptotic protein Mcl-1 remains largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that the Mcl-1 TMD forms homooligomers in the mitochondrial membrane, competes with full-length Mcl-1 protein with regards to its antiapoptotic function, and induces cell death in a Bok-dependent manner.