Bax Polyclonal Antibody (CAB11931)

BAX (also known as BCL2 Associated X, Bcl-2-Like Protein 4, Bcl2-L-4, BCL2L4) is a member of the BCL2 family of proteins that play a key role in the regulation of apoptosis in higher eukaryotes (https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q07812). BAX comprises 4 Bcl-2 homology domains (BH1-BH4) and a C-terminal transmembrane domain. In healthy mammalian cells, BAX is localized to the cytoplasm through its interaction with the anti-apoptotic BL-2 family members BCL2L1/Bcl-xL . In response to apoptotic stimuli, however, BAX undergoes a conformational change that causes it to translocate to the outer mitochondrial membrane where it initiates the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis via two potential mechanisms. Firstly, upon translocation to the outer mitochondrial membrane, BAX interacts with the mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) leading to the opening of the channel, loss of membrane potential, and the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondrion . The release of cytochrome C into the cytoplasm leads to the activation of Caspase3, initiating apoptosis. Secondly, activated BAX forms homodimers, which then assemble into oligomers on the mitochondrial outer membrane to create pores that permeabilize the mitochondrion leading to the release of cytochrome C.BAX has been shown to be involved in p53-mediated apoptosis. Expression of the human bax gene has been shown to be directly regulated by p53, and the bax promoter contains four motifs with homology to consensus p53-binding sites. Furthermore, p53 directly interacts with BAX to promote its activation.