Apoptosis Technology Inc. other research news

The Cambridge, Mass., subsidiary of ImmunoGen Inc. (IMGN) published the cloning of the newly discovered protein regulator of cell death. The protein, Bik (Bcl-2 interacting killer), interacts with the cellular survival-promoting proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, as well as with the viral survival-promoting proteins Epstein Barr virus-BHRF1 and adenovirus E1B-19 kDa.

The death-promoting activity of Bik can be suppressed by co-expression of those four proteins, suggesting that Bik may be a common target for both cellular and viral apoptotic proteins. Some viral genes thus may work to block cell death and promote their own replication. ...