Claim: BNIP3 has been shown to induce cell death if expression is increased and can induce classical apoptosis through cytochrome c and caspase activation in some cells.
Evidence: Increased expression of BNIP3 has been shown to induce cell death in different ways in multiple cell lines. BNIP3 can induce classical apoptosis through cytochrome c and caspase activation in some cells, while in others, cells have undergone autophagic cell death, occurring in the absence of apaf-1, caspase-1 or caspase 3, and without cytochrome c release.