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Noxa: at the tip of the balance between life and death

Oncogene volume 27, pages S84–S92 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Among all Bcl2 homology domain 3 (BH3)-only proteins known to date, APR/PMAIP1/Noxa, albeit showing weak proapoptotic potential on its own, appears to be crucial in fine-tuning cell death decisions by targeting the prosurvival molecule Mcl1 for proteasomal degradation. This event appears critical for cell death induction along the mitochondrial Bcl2-regulated apoptosis pathway in response to factor deprivation or DNA damage, presumably by sensitizing the cell toward the action of additional BH3-only protein family members. This review aims to summarize the function of Noxa in normal physiology, stress-induced cell death and tumorigenesis.

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Acknowledgements

The work in our laboratories was supported by fellowships and grants from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF): Y212-B13 START, the Doctoral College MCBO, the SFB021, projects P18747 and P18571, the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR), EU-FP7 (ApopTrain) and the Tyrolean Science Fund (TWF). We apologize to the many scientists in this field whose excellent research was not cited but was only referred to indirectly through reviews.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Molecular Pathophysiology, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria

    C Ploner & R Kofler

  2. Tyrolean Cancer Research Institute, Innsbruck, Austria

    R Kofler

  3. Division of Developmental Immunology, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria

    A Villunger

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  1. C Ploner
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  2. R Kofler
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  3. A Villunger
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Correspondence to A Villunger.

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Ploner, C., Kofler, R. & Villunger, A. Noxa: at the tip of the balance between life and death. Oncogene 27 (Suppl 1), S84–S92 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/onc.2009.46

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