The transmembrane Bax inhibitor motif (TMBIM) containing protein family: Tissue expression, intracellular localization and effects on the ER CA2+-filling state

Abstract Bax inhibitor-1 (BI-1) is an evolutionarily conserved pH-dependent Ca2+ leak channel in the endoplasmic reticulum and the founding member of a family of six highly hydrophobic mammalian proteins named transmembrane BAX inhibitor motif containing (TMBIM) 1-6 with BI-1 being TMBIM6. Here we compared the structure, subcellular localization, tissue expression and the effect on the cellular Ca2+ homeostasis of all family members side by side. We found that all TMBIM proteins possess the di-aspartyl pH sensor responsible for pH sensing identified in TMBIM6 and its bacterial homologue BsYetJ. TMBIM1-3 and TMBIM4-6 represent two phylogenetically distinct groups that are localized in the Go…