A mitochondrial perspective on cell death.
The role of mitochondria as crucial participants in cell death programs is well established, yet the mechanisms responsible for the release of mitochondrial activators and the role of BCL2 family proteins in this process remain controversial. Here, we point out the limitations of current approaches used to monitor the physiological responses of mitochondria during cell death, the implications arising from modern views of mitochondrial structure, and briefly assess two proposed mechanisms for the release of mitochondrial proteins during apoptosis.
Bernardi
P
P
Dept. of Biomedical Sciences, Viale Giuseppe Colombo 3, I-35121, Padova, Italy. bernardi@civ.bio.unipd.it
Petronilli
V
V
Di Lisa
F
F
Forte
M
M
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D016923:Cell Death; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000502:physiology
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016572:Cyclosporine