[Role of mitochondrial protein Smac/Diablo in regulation of apoptotic pathways].

This is a review of studies on recently identified protein Smac/Diablo, a factor that has been shown to exit mitochondria in response to apoptotic stimuli and potentate caspase activity, possibly by neutralizing members of IAP family. The current knowlege about structure and function of Smac/Diablo during programmed cell death, both in mitochondrial and receptor pathways are presented. Special attention was paid to the defects of transduction of apoptotic signals in chemoresistant tumor cells such as alteration in expression of IAP and Bcl-2-family and role of Smac/Diablo as an agent, which analyzed deeply may contribute to create new forms of anticancer therapies.