Bex蛋白家族的研究进展

Bex家族(brain expressed,X-linked gene family)是X染色体连锁基因家族,虽然蛋白分子量只有120aa左右,但却包含了入核信号序列、出核信号基序、CAAX膜锚定序列等多个功能结构域,这些结构域的存在决定了Bex分子可以在亚细胞的不同部位间穿梭,执行不同的信号转导和生理功能。目前很多研究报导了Bex参与机体的发育与分化、细胞凋亡与肿瘤形成等重要的生理和病理过程,提示这类小分子蛋白家族可能扮演了重要的在体功能的角色。虽然人的Bex基因由我国学者首次发现,但国内有关Bex家族的研究工作和相关的理论参考均不多见。本文拟就Bex家族迄今为止突出的研究进展作一综述,旨在为下一步的功能研究工作提供理论参考和依据。

Research Progress ofBex Gene Family

Bex gene family (brain expressed,X-linked gene family) belongs to the X -linked gene super family.Although the molecular weight of Bex is only about 120 aa,the family contains several function domains such as nuclear localization signal peptide, nuclear export motif and CAAX membrane anchoring domain and so on,which give the molecule rights to shuttle between subcellular locations for cell signals transduction and different biological functions.Presently,more and more researches reported that Bex took part in the course of differentiation in development and apoptosis in tumorigenesis,which suggested that the super family may play an impor- tant role in vivo.Although human Bex gene was identified by Chinese researchers firstly,the further researches and the detailed informa- tion had been found almost nothing.In this article,we tried to review the most outstanding progresses of the Bex family researches by far, in order to offer the background for the future research.