The channel of death.

The proapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family have been proposed to participate in the formation of a channel that releases these apoptogenic factors when mitochondria receive apoptotic signals. A recent study provides the first direct, biophysical measurement of a potentially apoptosis-specific mitochondrial channel, which is regulated by Bcl-2 family members and may play a primary role in the release of the proapoptotic factors.