BAX ( BCL 2 - associated X protein )

The BAX gene is characterized by 5 protein coding transcripts (alpha/psi, beta, delta, epsilon, sigma). Baxbeta encodes the longest isoform (891 bp) of the gene. BAX-alpha/Bax-psi variant is 888 bp in length and codes for a protein isoform that possesses a shorter and different C terminus, as compared with the isoform BAX-beta. The third variant (BAX-delta), which is 741 bp in length, lacks exon 3, whereas it retains the functionally critical C-terminal membrane anchorage region, as well as the BCL2 homology 1 and 2 (BH1 and BH2) domains, although it has a shorter and different C terminus, in comparison with BAX-beta. The fourth identified variant of BAX, which is designated as BAX-epsilon, is 986 bp in length because it contains an extra fragment within the coding region, as well as a distinct 3' coding region and 3' UTR, resulting in a distinct BAX isoform with a shorter and distinct C terminus, as compared with BAX-beta. The fifth identified variant of BAX, BAX-sigma, is 849 bp in length and has also a shorter and different C terminus, when compared with the isoform beta. Pseudogene