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Sci. STKE, 26 October 2004
Vol. 2004, Issue 256, p. tw387
[DOI: 10.1126/stke.2562004tw387]

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APOPTOSIS Regulating Cellular Survival

The protein phosphatase PP2A regulates a number of different transcription factors, some of whose gene targets control cell survival. Kong et al. report that {alpha}4, a regulatory subunit of PP2A that can enhance enzymatic activity, is an essential inhibitor of transcriptionally induced cell death, or apoptosis. Multiple cell types derived from mice engineered to lack {alpha}4 succumbed to rapid cell death. In the absence of {alpha}4, expression of proapoptotic gene targets of the transcription factor p53 increased. The data provide support for the idea that, in animal cells, apoptosis is a default cell fate that must be constantly repressed.

M. Kong, C. J. Fox, J. Mu, L. Solt, A. Xu, R. M. Cinalli, M. J. Birnbaum, T. Lindsten, C. B. Thompson, The PP2A-associated protein {alpha}4 is an essential inhibitor of apoptosis. Science 306, 695-698 (2004). [Abstract] [Full Text]

Citation: Regulating Cellular Survival. Sci. STKE 2004, tw387 (2004).

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