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Human inhibitor of apoptosis proteins: why XIAP is the black sheep of the family
Author(s) -
Eckelman Brendan P,
Salvesen Guy S,
Scott Fiona L
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/sj.embor.7400795
Subject(s) - xiap , inhibitor of apoptosis , microbiology and biotechnology , caspase , apoptosis , biology , bcl 2 family , proteasome , ubiquitin , protein family , inhibitor of apoptosis domain , function (biology) , caspase 9 , programmed cell death , genetics , gene
Several of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family members regulate apoptosis in response to various cellular assaults. Some members are also involved in cell signalling, mitosis and targeting proteins to the ubiquitin‐proteasome degradation machinery. The most intensively studied family member, X‐linked IAP (XIAP), is a potent inhibitor of caspase activity; hence, it is generally assumed that direct caspase inhibition is an important conserved function of most members of the family. Biochemical and structural studies have precisely mapped the elements of XIAP required for caspase inhibition. Intriguingly, these elements are not conserved among IAPs. Here, we review current knowledge of the caspase‐inhibitory potential of the human IAPs and show that XIAP is probably the only bona fide caspase inhibitor, suggesting that the other family members never gained the ability to directly inhibit caspase activity.