Journal
FEBS LETTERS
Volume 476, Issue 3, Pages 118-123Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1016/S0014-5793(00)01731-2
Keywords
apoptosis-inducing factor; Bcl-2; cytochrome c; mitochondrion; programmed cell death
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is encoded by one single gene located on the X chromosome. AIF is ubiquitously expressed, both in normal tissues and in a variety of cancer cell lines. The AIF precursor is synthesized in the cytosol and is imported into mitochondria, The mature AIF protein, a flavoprotein (prosthetic group: flavine adenine dinucleotide) with significant homology to plant ascorbate reductases and bacterial NADH oxidases, is normally confined to the mitochondrial intermembrane space. In a variety of different apoptosis-inducing conditions, AIF translocates through the outer mitochondrial membrane to the cytosol and to the nucleus. Ectopic (extra-mitochondrial) AIP induces nuclear chromatin condensation, as well as large scale (similar to 50 kb) DNA fragmentation. Thus, similar to cytochrome c, AIF is a phylogenetically old, bifunctional protein with an electron acceptor/donor (oxidoreductase) function and a second apoptogenic function. In contrast to cytochrome c. however, AIF acts in a caspase-independent fashion. The molecular mechanisms,ia which AIF induces apoptosis are discussed. (C) 2000 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available