Apaf-1 and its isoform's structural relationship

Apaf-1, a 130 Kda protein is known to regulate apoptosis by specifically interacting with cytochrome c followed by activation of caspase. Also, it has also been implicated in a number of diseases, such as, cancer, AIDS, heart failure, stroke and neurodegenerative disorders, making it a potential drug target as well as a powerful diagnostic and prognostic tool. Structurally, it is known to exist in a number of forms, owing to alternative splicing. However, the structural and functional relationship between its isoforms has not been investigated, making it difficult to exploit Apaf-1 as a drug target. The present study, therefore focuses on understanding the structural relationship between the isoforms.