Bcl-2 (human, recombinant)

Bcl-2 is an anti-apoptotic protein and the founding member of the Bcl-2 family of proteins.^1,2 Bcl-2 is composed of a C-terminal helix that acts as a membrane anchor and four highly conserved Bcl-2 homology (BH) domains.¹ The BH1, BH2, and BH3 domains form a hydrophobic cleft that mediates protein-protein interactions with the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Bak, resulting in their inhibition, whereas the BH4 domain regulates intracellular calcium levels by interacting with the inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate receptor (IP₃R) and ryanodine receptors (RyRs).^3,1,4 Bcl-2 is highly expressed during embryogenesis and neuron and lymphocyte development and is primarily localized to the mitochondrial outer membrane.⁵ It inhibits the intrinsic apoptotic pathway by inhibiting Bax- or Bak-induced pore formation in the outer mitochondrial membrane, maintaining the mitochondrial membrane potential, and preventing the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol and the induction of apoptosis.^2,3 Bcl-2 has oncogenic function, promoting tumor progression and angiogenesis, as well as metastasis.⁴ The Bcl2 t(14;18)(q32;q21) translocation results in Bcl-2 overexpression and is a hallmark of follicular lymphoma.⁶ Bcl-2 is also overexpressed in several other cancers, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and prostate cancer.³ Cayman's Bcl-2 (human, recombinant) protein can be used for binding assays. This protein consists of 221 amino acids and has a calculated molecular weight of 24.7 kDa.

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1. Tsujimoto, Y., and Shimizu, S. Bcl-2 family: Life-or-death switch. FEBS Lett. 466(1), 6-10 (2000).

2. Kirkin, V., Joos, S., and Zörnig, M. The role of Bcl-2 family members in tumorigenesis. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1644(2-3), 229-249 (2004).

3. Akl, H., Vervloessem, T., Kiviluoto, S., et al. A dual role for the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein in cancer: Mitochondria versus endoplasmic reticulum. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1843(10), 2240-2252 (2014).

4. Gabellini, C., Trisciuoglio, D., and Del Bufalo, D. Non-canonical roles of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL proteins: Relevance of BH₄ domain. Carcinogenesis 38(6), 579-587 (2017).

5. Opferman, J.T., and Kothari, A. Anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family members in development. Cell Death Differ. 25(1), 37-45 (2018).

6. Biagi, J.J., and Seymour, J.F. Insights into the molecular pathogenesis of follicular lymphoma arising from analysis of geographic variation. Blood 99(12), 4265-4275 (2002).