BCL2 family members form oligomers or heterodimers and act as anti- or pro-apoptotic regulators that are involved in a wide variety of cellular activities.

[7] As a member of the BCL2 protein family, BAK1 functions as a pro-apoptotic regulator involved in a wide variety of cellular activities.

[6] In healthy mammalian cells, BAK1 localizes primarily to the MOM, but remains in an inactive form until stimulated by apoptotic signaling.

[8] Moreover, BAK1 is believed to induce the opening of the mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel, leading to release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria.

[7] Recently, one study of the role of genetics in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) showed that different BAK1 variants can exist in both diseased and non-diseased AA tissues compared to matching blood samples.