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Examining BCL-2 Family Function with Large Unilamellar Vesicles
Published on: October 5, 2012
Bax interacts with the voltage-dependent anion channel and mediates ethanol-induced apoptosis in rat hepatocytes
Masayuki Adachi1, Hajime Higuchi, Soichiro Miura
1Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Abstract:
Acute ethanol exposure induces oxidative stress and apoptosis in primary rat hepatocytes. Previous data indicate that the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) is essential for ethanol-induced apoptosis. However, the mechanism by which ethanol induces the MPT remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of Bax, a proapoptotic Bcl-2 family protein, in acute ethanol-induced hepatocyte apoptosis. We found that Bax translocates from the cytosol to mitochondria before mitochondrial cytochrome c release. Bax translocation was oxidative stress dependent. Mitochondrial Bax formed a protein complex with the mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC). Prevention of Bax-VDAC interactions by a microinjection of anti-VDAC antibody effectively prevented hepatocyte apoptosis by ethanol. In conclusion, these data suggest that Bax translocation from the cytosol to mitochondria leads to the subsequent formation of a Bax-VDAC complex that plays a crucial role in acute ethanol-induced hepatocyte apoptosis.
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