Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

The bcl-2 gene encodes a novel G protein

Nature volume 342, pages 195–198 (1989)Cite this article

Abstract

LITTLE is known about the biochemical or functional nature of the proteins encoded by the bcl-2 gene, which undergoes chromosomal translocation in approximately 85% of follicular lymphoma, 20% of diffuse large cell lymphoma and 10% of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia of B cells1–5. Translocation of bcl-2 sequences5 from chromosome 18 to the JH segment of the immunoglobulin gene at chromosome band 14q32 in B cells results in deregulated expression of this gene, causing high steady state levels of bcl-2 messenger RNA2. DNA sequence data indicate that bcl-2 encodes two proteins by virtue of alternative splicing, designated as Bcl-2α and Bcl-2β, with relative molecular masses of 26,000 and 22,000 respectively1. Cell fractionation experiments indicate that the bcl-2α gene product is located at the inner surface of the cell membrane, suggesting a possible role in mitogenic signal transduction6. We report here that Bcl-2α has GTP-binding activity and a protein sequence that suggests it belongs to the small molecular weight GTP-binding protein (G protein) family7–16.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Tsujimoto, Y. & Croce, C. M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 5214–5218 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Tsujimoto, Y., Cossman, J., Jaffe, E. & Croce, C. M. Science 228, 1440–1443 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Cleary, M. L., Smith, S. D. & Sklar, J. Cell 47, 19–28 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Seto, M. et al. EMBO J. 7, 123–131 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Tsujimoto, Y., Finger, L. R., Yunis, J., Nowell, P. C. & Croce, C. H. Science 226, 1097–1099 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Tsujimoto, Y., Ikegaki, N. & Croce, C. M. Oncogene 2, 3–7 (1987).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Barbacid, M. A. Rev. Biochem. 56, 779–827 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Madaule, P., Axel, R. & Myers, A. M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 779–783 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Chardin, P. & Tavitian, A. EMBO J. 5, 2203–2208 (1986).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Lowe, D. G. et al. Cell 48, 137–147 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Haubruck, H., Disela, C., Wagner, P. & Gallwitz, D. EMBO J. 6, 4049–4053 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Touchot, N., Chardin, P. & Tavitian, A. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 8210–82114 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Russ Price, S. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 5488–5491 (1988).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Ohmori, T., Kikuchi, A., Yamoto, K., Kim, S. & Takai, Y. J. biol. Chem. 264, 1877–1881 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Matsui, Y. et al. J. biol. Chem. 263, 11071–11074 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Kawata, M. et al. J. biol. Chem. 263, 18965–18971 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Holbrook, S. R. & Kim, S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 1751–1755 (1989).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Negrini, M., Silini, E., Kozak, C., Tsujimoto, Y. & Croce, C. M. Cell 49, 455–463 (1987).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Bokoch, G. M. & Parkos, C. A. FEBS Lett. 227, 66–70 (1988).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Lapetina, E. G. & Reep, B. R. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 2261–2265 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Chow, N. I. et al. J. biol. Chem. 263, 12797–12800 (1988).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Vaux, D. L., Cory, S. & Adams, J. M. Nature 335, 440–442 (1988).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Capon, R., Chen, E. Y., Levinson, A. D., Seeburg, P. H., & Goeddel, D. V. Nature 302, 33–37 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Towbin, H., Staehelin, T. & Gordon, J. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 76, 4350–4354 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Kaufmann, S. H., Ewing, C. M. & Shaper, J. H. Analyst. Biochem. 161, 89–95 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Gorman, C. in DNA Cloning Techniques: A Practical Approach Vol. II (ed. D. M. Glover) 143–190 (IRL Press, Oxford, 1985).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Clark, R., Wong, G., Arnheim, N., Nitecki, D. & McCormick, F. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 5280–5284 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Yoshihide Tsujimoto: The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvnia 19103, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Temple University School of Medicine, 3420 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19140, USA

    Subrata Haldar, Christine Beatty, Yoshihide Tsujimoto & Carlo M. Croce

Authors
  1. Subrata Haldar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Christine Beatty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yoshihide Tsujimoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Carlo M. Croce
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Haldar, S., Beatty, C., Tsujimoto, Y. et al. The bcl-2 gene encodes a novel G protein. Nature 342, 195–198 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/342195a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/342195a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing