Bax inhibitor-1 (BI-1) is an evolutionarily conserved protein that protects cells against endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress while also affecting the ER stress response. In this study, we examined BI-1-induced regulation of the ER stress response as well as the control of the protein over cell death under ER stress. In BI-1-overexpressing cells (BI-1 cells), proteasome activity was similar to that of control cells; however, the lysosomal fraction of BI-1 cells showed sensitivity to degradation of BSA. In addition, areas and polygonal lengths of lysosomes were greater in BI-1 cells than in control cells, as assessed by fluorescence and electron microscopy. In BI-1 cells, lysosomal pH was lower than in control cells and lysosomal vacuolar H Ű -ATPase(V-ATPase), a proton pump, was activated, suggesting high H Ű uptake into lysosomes. Even when exposed to ER stress, BI-1 cells maintained high levels of lysosomal activities, including V-ATPase activity. Bafilomycin, a V-ATPase inhibitor, leads to the reversal of BI-1-induced regulation of ER stress response and cell death due to ER stress. In BI-1 knock-out mouse embryo fibroblasts, lysosomal activity and number per cell were relatively lower than in BI-1 wild-type cells. This study suggests that highly maintained lysosomal activity may be one of the mechanisms by which BI-1 exerts its regulatory effects on the ER stress response and cell death.Eukaryotic cells respond to the threat of protein misfolding in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) 3 by activating either the ER stress response or the unfolded protein response (UPR) (1, 2). The ER stress response consists of pathways that inhibit protein synthesis, up-regulate chaperone proteins, and increase protein degradation activity. Initiation of the ER stress response occurs when the quantity of unfolded proteins exceeds the capacity of chaperone proteins. GRP78 normally binds to the N-terminal ends of the following three transmembrane proteins: RNAdependent protein kinase-like ER kinase, inositol-requiring enzyme 1⣠(IRE1âŁ), and activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) (3, 4). Protein kinase-like ER kinase phosphorylates eukaryotic initiation factor 2⣠(eIF2âŁ) in the regulation of protein translation (5). IRE1 is related to genes involved in the transport of unfolded proteins out of the ER and in their degradation by ER-associated degradation (ERAD) (6). ATF6⣠can also induce chaperone proteins and precedes IRE1âŁ-mediated production of the ERAD pathway (6). Lysosomal activity is an ERAD II pathway, whereas ERAD I is a proteasome/ubiquitination pathway (7). The ERAD mechanism increases the protein folding capacity by reducing protein folding loads (7, 8), implying that ERAD is a physiological pathway that can regulate ER stress responses (8, 9).Bax inhibitor-1 (BI-1, also known as a "testis-enhanced gene transcript") is an anti-apoptotic protein that inhibits the activation of Bax and its translocation to the mitochondria (10). Functionally, BI-1 affects Ca 2Ï© leakage from the ER, as measured by Ca 2Ï© -sensitive ER-targete...