BTB/POZ domain of speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP) confers proapoptotic function in HeLa cells

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Byun, Boohyeong | Tak, Heejae | Joe, Cheol O.

Affiliations: Department of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, South Korea | Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejon, South Korea

Note: [] Address for correspondence: Boohyeong Byun, Department of Oriental Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu 705-060, South Korea. Tel.: +82 53 819 1336; Fax: +53 768 6340; E-mail: bhbyun@dhu.ac.kr

Abstract: The proapoptotic function of SPOP protein was investigated in HeLa cells. HeLa cells underwent apoptosis by the overexpression of SPOP. Studies using SPOP deletion mutants suggest that BTB/POZ domain of SPOP protein is important for the induction of apoptosis in transfected cells. This study first proposes the proapoptotic aspect of the BTB/POZ domain of SPOP protein based on the finding that cells expressing the C-terminal fragment of SPOP containing the BTB/POZ domain underwent apoptosis.

Keywords: Apoptosis, BTB/POZ domain, Scleroderma, SPOP

Journal: BioFactors, vol. 31, no. 3-4, pp. 165-169, 2007