Allosteric Regulation of BH3 Proteins in Bcl-xL Complexes Enables Switch-like Activation of Bax

Current models of apoptosis regulation by the Bcl-2 family of proteins postulate that heterodimeric interactions between family members determine whether Bax and Bak are activated to trigger cell death. Thus, the relative abundance and binding affinities between pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins determines the outcome of these interactions. Examination of these interactions using purified mitochondria and liposomes with full-length recombinant proteins revealed that Bcl-x_L inhibits apoptosis as a higher-order complex that binds multiple BH3 proteins. Allosteric regulation of this complex by the BH3 sensitizer Bad confers switch-like activity to the indirect activation of Bax. The BH3 activator cBid sequestered by Bcl-x_L complexes changes from an inactive to an active form while bound to a Bcl-x_L complex only when Bad is also bound. Bcl-x_L complexes enable Bad to function as a non-competitive inhibitor of Bcl-x_L and allosterically activate cBid, dramatically enhancing the pro-apoptotic potency of Bad.