Viral proteins and the mitochondrial apoptotic checkpoint.
Regulated cell death by apoptosis constitutes a primary host defense for counteracting invading viral pathogens. In recent years, advances in the field of apoptosis research have revealed that mitochondria and mitochondria-derived factors play a central role in regulating cellular commitment to apoptosis. Here we explore the role of viral proteins in modulating cell death pathways that are relayed via this mitochondrial checkpoint.
Everett
H
H
Biochemistry Department, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H7. heverett@biochem.ualberta.ca
McFadden
G
G
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; D000083162:Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore; D011485:Protein Binding; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D007473:Ion Channels; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D033681:Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins; D000083162:Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore; D014764:Viral Proteins; D020169:Caspases