BH3-only protein Bmf mediates apoptosis upon inhibition of CAP-dependent protein synthesis

Tight transcriptional regulation, post-translational modifications and/or alternative splicing of BH3-only proteins fine-tune their pro-apoptotic function. Here, we characterize the gene locus of the BH3-only protein Bmf (Bcl-2 modifying factor) and describe the generation of two major isoforms from a common transcript where initiation of protein synthesis involves leucine-coding CUG. Bmf(CUG) and the originally described isoform, Bmf short (Bmf(S)), display comparable binding affinities to pro-survival Bcl-2 family members, localize preferentially to the outer mitochondrial membrane and induce rapid Bcl-2-blockable apoptosis. Notably, endogenous Bmf expression is induced upon forms of cell stress known to cause the repression of the CAP-dependent translation machinery such as serum-deprivation, hypoxia, inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway or mTOR, as well as direct pharmacological inhibition of eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF-4E. Knock-down or deletion of Bmf reduces apoptosis under some of these conditions demonstrating that Bmf can act as a sentinel for the stress-impaired CAP-dependent protein translation machinery (150).