Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Murine Model for Non-invasive Imaging to Detect and Monitor Ovarian Cancer Recurrence
08:55

Murine Model for Non-invasive Imaging to Detect and Monitor Ovarian Cancer Recurrence

Published on: November 2, 2014

Bok, Bcl-2-related Ovarian Killer, Is Cell Cycle-regulated and Sensitizes to Stress-induced Apoptosis

Jose M Rodriguez1, Michele A Glozak, Yihong Ma

  • 1Molecular Oncology Program, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, Cancer Biology Ph.D. Program, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612.

The Journal of Biological Chemistry
|June 15, 2006
PubMed

Insights

The Bcl-2-related ovarian killer (Bok) protein is regulated by cell cycle and promotes apoptosis. Growing cells expressing Bok are more sensitive to chemotherapy, suggesting its role in cancer treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Bcl-2-related ovarian killer (Bok) is a pro-apoptotic protein in the Bcl-2 family, but its biological role remains largely unknown.
  • Previous studies showed Bok mRNA increases with E2F1 overexpression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the cell cycle regulation of Bok expression and its functional consequences.
  • To elucidate the transcriptional mechanism controlling Bok gene expression.

Main Methods:

  • Cloning and characterization of the mouse Bok promoter.
  • Luciferase reporter assays to assess promoter activity.
  • Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays to detect E2F binding in vivo.
  • Stable expression of exogenous Bok protein in H1299 cells.

Main Results:

  • Bok RNA levels are low in quiescent cells and increase upon serum stimulation.
  • The mouse Bok promoter contains a conserved E2F binding site essential for serum-induced activation.
  • Endogenous E2F1 and E2F3 proteins bind to the Bok promoter in vivo.
  • Cells expressing high levels of Bok protein exhibit increased sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs.

Conclusions:

  • Bok is a cell cycle-regulated pro-apoptotic protein.
  • E2F transcription factors play a key role in regulating Bok expression.
  • Bok expression may sensitize proliferating cells to chemotherapy, offering potential therapeutic strategies.

More Related Videos

Integration of Bioinformatics Approaches and Experimental Validations to Understand the Role of Notch Signaling in Ovarian Cancer09:08

Integration of Bioinformatics Approaches and Experimental Validations to Understand the Role of Notch Signaling in Ovarian Cancer

Published on: January 12, 2020

Studying Cell Cycle-regulated Gene Expression by Two Complementary Cell Synchronization Protocols12:02

Studying Cell Cycle-regulated Gene Expression by Two Complementary Cell Synchronization Protocols

Published on: June 6, 2017

Related Concept Videos

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
Molecular Factors Affecting Cell Division01:27

Molecular Factors Affecting Cell Division

Several external and internal factors influence the initiation and inhibition of cell division. For instance, the death of nearby cells or the release of human growth hormone (hGH) promotes cell division. In contrast, lack of hGH or crowding of cells can inhibit cell division.
Several proteins function as internal regulators to ensure each cell cycle stage is completed faithfully before proceeding to the next. Regulator molecules may act directly or influence the activity or production of other...
DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle02:36

DNA Damage can Stall the Cell Cycle

In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...
DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle02:36

DNA Damage Can Stall the Cell Cycle

In response to DNA damage, cells can pause the cell cycle to assess and repair the breaks. However, the cell must check the DNA at certain critical stages during the cell cycle. If the cell cycle pauses before DNA replication, the cells will contain twice the amount of DNA. On the other hand, if cells arrest after DNA replication but before mitosis, they will contain four times the normal amount of DNA. With a host of specialized proteins at their disposal,cells must use the right protein at...
Negative Regulator Molecules01:23

Negative Regulator Molecules

Positive regulators allow a cell to advance through cell cycle checkpoints. Negative regulators have an equally important role as they terminate a cell’s progression through the cell cycle—or pause it—until the cell meets specific criteria.
Inhibition of Cdk Activity02:34

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...