Cell death may be triggered by 'hit-and-run' interaction

(Walter and Eliza Hall Institute) A 'hit-and-run' interaction between two proteins could be an important trigger for cell death, according tonew research from Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers.The researchers investigated the chain of events that activates the protein BAX, which is a crucial driverof apoptosis, the major form of cell death. Addressing a long-standing question in the field, theydiscovered that BAX is activated for cell death by transient interactions with so-called 'BH3-only' proteinsat two distant sites on BAX.
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news