We report here the purification of the third protein factor, Apaf-3, that participates in caspase-3 activation in vitro. Apaf-3 was identified as a member of the caspase family, caspase-9. Caspase-9 and Apaf-1 bind to each other via their respective NH2-terminal CED-3 homologous domains in the presence of cytochrome c and dATP, an ...
Growth factors can promote cell survival by activating the phosphatidylinositide-3′-OH kinase and its downstream target, the serine-threonine kinase Akt. However, the mechanism by which Akt functions to promote survival is not understood. We show that growth factor activation of the PI3′K/Akt signaling pathway culminates in the phosphorylation of the BCL-2 family member BAD, thereby suppressing ...