Table 1.
Description of common abbreviations used in apoptosis and signal transduction
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Synonyms |
| Bad | Bcl-2/Bcl-XL-associated death domain protein | BH3-only member of the Bcl-2 family |
| Bak | Bcl-2 homologous antagonist-killer protein | Multi-BH domain pro-apoptosis protein |
| Bax | Bcl-2-associated X protein | Multi-BH domain pro-apoptosis protein |
| Bcl-2 | B-cell lymphoma-2 | Defining member of the family; originally characterized as an oncogene |
| Bcl-XL | Bcl-2-related gene, long form | Bcl-XS is a shorter splice variant that is pro-apoptotic |
| Bim | Bcl-2-interacting mediator of cell death | BH3-only member of the Bcl-2 family |
| IκB | Inhibitor of NF-κB | Interacts with NF-κB |
| IKK | IκB kinase | Phosphorylates IκB to promote its degradation |
| MDM2 | Murine double minute | Negative regulator of the p53 tumor suppressor |
| NF-κB | Nuclear factor-kappa type B | Originally linked with enhancement of immunoglobulin kappa light-chain gene |
| p53 | 53 kDa protein | Tumor-suppressor protein |
| PDK-1 | 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 | Master kinase that is crucial for the activation of Akt/PKB |
| PI3K | Phosphoinositide 3-kinase | Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; PI 3-kinase; PtdIns3K |
| PKB | Protein kinase B | Akt; RACK (related to A and C kinase); has PH domain |
| PMAIP-1/Noxa | Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-induced protein 1 | BH3-only member of the Bcl-2 family and candidate mediator of p53-induced apoptosis |
| PUMA | p53-upregulated modulator of apoptosis | BH3-only member of the Bcl-2 family |
BH, Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma-2) homology.