Apoptosome: the seven-spoked death machine.
A paper in the February issue of Molecular Cell describes the structure of the apoptosome, a multicomponent death machine, deciphered by cryoelectron microscopy. This structure explains the assembly of the machine, the tentative location of the subcomponents, and proposes a mechanism for initiating the death signal.
Salvesen
Guy S
GS
Program in Apoptosis and Cell Death Research, The Burnham Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Renatus
Martin
M
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*
D020169:Caspases