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BCL2

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Cancer

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Synonyms

B-cell leukemia/lymphoma-2 gene (Bcl2); Bcl2; Apoptosis regulator Bcl2; B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2; B-cell lymphoma protein 2

Definition

The Bcl2 family of proteins belong to a peculiar class of proteins regulating apoptosis, cell cycle, differentiation, and autophagy; in oncology, the genes coding for these proteins could not be defined neither as dominant transforming oncogenes (such as myc ), nor tumor suppressor genes (such as p53 ). They could be best defined as apoptosis-related genes, a definition that stresses the importance of apoptosis (and of its dysregulation) in the genesis and development of cancer in humans and other species. Dysregulation of apoptosis is involved also in the development of diseases other that cancer, such as autoimmune diseases, AIDS and various degenerative pathologies.

Characteristics

The Bcl2 family encompasses several members divided in antiapoptotic and proapoptotic proteins; among the antiapoptotic are Bcl2 and BclXL, whereas among the...

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References

  1. Haecker G, Vaux DL (1995) A sticky business. Curr Biol 5:622–624

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  2. Reed JC (1997) Double identity for the proteins of the Bcl2 family. Nature 387:773–776

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  3. Duesberg P, Li R, Fabarius A et al. (2005) The chromosomal basis of cancer. Cell Oncol 27:293–318

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  4. Thomadaki H, Scorilas A (2006) BCL2 family of apoptosis-related genes: functions and clinical implications in cancer. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 43:1–67

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  5. Pattingre S, Levine B (2006) Bcl2 inhibition of autophagy: a new route to cancer? Cancer Res 66:2885–2888

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Pathology and Oncology, University of Firenze, Firenze, Italy

    Marco Ruggiero

Authors
  1. Marco Ruggiero
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Director Division of Tumour Genetics (B030), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab (Professor for Genetics) (Professor for Genetics)

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© 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York

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Ruggiero, M. (2008). BCL2. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-47648-1_562

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