Abstract
Bax Inhibitor-1 (BI-1) is a widely conserved cell death supressor. Arabidopsis BI-1 (AtBI-1) is an ER membrane protein which has 7 transmembrane domains, and suppresses the cell death induced by oxidative stress in plants. However, the precise molecular mechanism has not been clear.
Recently, it has been demonstrated that AtBI-1 interacts with 2-hydroxylase (AtFAH) via cytochrome b5 (AtCb5) (Nagano et al., Plant Journal, in press). Moreover, an analysis using Saccharomysis cerevisiae suggests that fatty acid elongase (ScELO2, ScELO3) are related to cell death supression mediated by AtBI-1. ScELOs are condensing enzymes, which catalyze the first step of fatty acid elongation, and essential for production of very long chain fatty acid. Although higher plants have ELO homologs, their functions are not clear. Here, we show the functions of Arabidopsis ELO homologs and the relationship between ELO and AtBI-1.
