Open AccessBcl-2 and Bax interaction in B-lymphocytes of peripheral blood in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Author(s) -
Goran Brajušković,
Slobodanka Orolicki,
Snežana Cerović,
S Usaj,
Slobodan Marjanović,
Stanka Romac
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
vojnosanitetski pregled
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.123
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 2406-0720
pISSN - 0042-8450
DOI - 10.2298/vsp0505357b
Subject(s) - chronic lymphocytic leukemia , peripheral blood , peripheral , leukemia , medicine , immunology
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a neoplastic disease characterized by the accumulation of morphologically mature monoclonal CD5+ B cells in the early phase (G0/G1) of the cell cycle. The accumulation of neoplastically transformed B-lymphocytes (CLL cells) is primarily the consequence of apoptosis blocking in these cells. Bcl-2 proteins are well-known modulators of this process. Some of these proteins are anti-apoptotic while the others are pro-apoptotic. All contain at least one of the four conserved regions called the Bcl-2 homologous domains (BH1-BH4). Evidence indicates that Bcl-2 and Bax form homo- and heterodimers. The anti-apoptotic effect of Bcl-2 protein is based on its ability to bind Bax protein in the heterodimer form, and thus to block the forming of Bax/Bax proapoptotic homodimers. The ratio of Bcl-2/Bax represents the cell autonomous rheostat which determinates the type of the cell reaction to an apoptotic stimulus.