Elegent: Getting away with murder: how does the BCL-2 family of proteins kill with immunity?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23527542

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2013 Mar 25. doi: 10.1111/nyas.12045. [Epub ahead of print]

Getting away with murder: how does the BCL-2 family of proteins kill with immunity?

Renault TT, Chipuk JE.

Source

Department of Oncological Sciences Department of Dermatology The Tisch Cancer Institute The Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York.

Abstract

The adult human body produces approximately one million white blood cells every second. However, only a small fraction of the cells will survive because the majority is eliminated through a genetically controlled form of cell death known as apoptosis. This review places into perspective recent studies pertaining to the BCL-2 family of proteins as critical regulators of the development and function of the immune system, with particular attention on B cell and T cell biology. Here we discuss how elegant murine model systems have revealed the major contributions of the BCL-2 family in establishing an effective immune system. Moreover, we highlight some key regulatory pathways that influence the expression, function, and stability of individual BCL-2 family members, and discuss their role in immunity. From lethal mechanisms to more gentle ones, the final portion of the review discusses the nonapoptotic functions of the BCL-2 family and how they pertain to the control of immunity.