PMID: 9170975May 1, 1997Paper

Molecular biology of apoptosis

Rinsho byori. The Japanese journal of clinical pathology
Y EguchiY Tsujimoto

Abstract

Apoptosis, a mechanism involving programmed cell death, is important for normal development and maintenance of tissue homeostasis of multicellular organisms. Apoptotic cells are defined by their fragmented nuclei with condensed chromatin, fragmented or condensed cytoplasm and formation of apoptotic bodies. The apoptotic signal transducing pathways activated by a variety of stimuli, including depletion of growth factors, heat shock, cytokines, DNA damaging reagents and crosslinking of Fas receptor, finally converge into the phylogenically conserved apoptotic main machinery, consisting of death-driving ICE-family proteases and anti-cell death protein Bcl-2. Recently, we noted that necrotic cell death induced by chemical hypoxia shares at least some part of the apoptotic main machinery. Using this system, we have shown that Bcl-2 prevents the loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential observed in both apoptotic and necrotic cell death. We also showed that the ICE protease cascade operates in apoptosis and that Bcl-2 functions upstream of the ICE prolease cascade. Here, we review the signal transducing pathway of the apoptotic main machinery.

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

BCL-2 Family Proteins

BLC-2 family proteins are a group that share the same homologous BH domain. They play many different roles including pro-survival signals, mitochondria-mediated apoptosis and removal or damaged cells. They are often regulated by phosphorylation, affecting their catalytic activity. Here is the latest research on BCL-2 family proteins.

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a specific process that leads to programmed cell death through the activation of an evolutionary conserved intracellular pathway leading to pathognomic cellular changes distinct from cellular necrosis