Bcl2l1 - BCL2-like 1

This gene encodes a member of the Bcl-2 family of apoptosis regulators. The encoded protein is localized to the inner and outer mitochondrial membranes and regulates the programmed cell death pathway during development and tissue homeostasis. This protein binds to voltage-dependent anion channels in the outer mitochondrial membrane to facilitate the uptake of calcium ions. Mice embryos lacking this gene survived for two weeks and exhibited cell death of immature hematopoietic cells and neurons. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. Additional alternatively spliced transcript variants of this gene have been described, but their full-length nature is not known. [provided by RefSeq, Jan 2014]