Regulation of cell death: the calcium-apoptosis link.
To live or to die? This crucial question eloquently reflects the dual role of Ca2+ in living organisms--survival factor or ruthless killer. It has long been known that Ca2+ signals govern a host of vital cell functions and so are necessary for cell survival. However, more recently it has become clear that cellular Ca2+ overload, or perturbation of intracellular Ca2+ compartmentalization, can cause cytotoxicity and trigger either apoptotic or necrotic cell death.
Orrenius
Sten
S
Institute of Environmental Medicine, Division of Toxicology, Karolinska Institutet, Box 210, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. Sten.Orrenius@imm.ki.se
Zhivotovsky
Boris
B
Nicotera
Pierluigi
P
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000502:physiology*; D009336:Necrosis; D015398:Signal Transduction
D002118:Calcium