Figure 9
Structural and sequence analyses of Bax and Bcl-xLproteins. A, Schematic representation of the spatial interactions between different segments of full-length Bax. The homology model of Bax was examined using the program DIAL [40], originally meant for recognizing compact structural domains in proteins. Structural segments with similar shading form spatial clusters and subdomains. The BH2 region (residues 145–170) forms a cluster with the N-terminal 29-residues indicating spatial proximity between the two segments. B, Sub-optimal sequence alignment between the helices in TM1 region of representative pro-apoptotic family members and alpha-5 of anti-apoptotic proteins. Protein names and residue numbers are marked for the sake of clarity. C, As for B, but showing the alignment between the BH2 helix of pro-apoptotic proteins and Bcl-xL.