BAX
bax: translation
1. Protein related to bcl-2 that promotes apoptosis in cultured cells. Mice deficient in bax have selective hyperplasias. Bax seems to act as a tumour suppressor and is induced by p53, though is not solely responsible for p53-mediated apoptosis.
2. Bcl-2 family member that promotes apoptosis. Homodimers seem to promote apotosis but heterodimers with Bcl-2 or Bcl-X L block cell death. Gene potentially encodes three proteins: bax- a 21 kD; bax- b 24 kD, and bax- g 5 kD.