The inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family protects cells from self-execution by blocking the relentless caspase death cascade. IAPs bind to and inhibit activated caspases through their BIR domains. Some IAPs such as Livin also contain a RING domain that has E3 ubiquitin ligase activity and promotes the degradation of Smac/DIABLO through ubiquitination. Since Smac/DIABLO promotes apoptosis by inhibiting IAP-caspase interactions, degradation of Smac/DIABLO allows IAPs to more effectively block caspase activity thereby promoting cell survival.
In general, members of the IAP family are highly expressed in several types of cancer. However, Survivin, an IAP that lacks a RING domain, definitely stands out among the family for its clear association with cancer. Ab View the rest of this article
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