Apoptosis: bombarding the mitochondria.
Mitochondria play a central role in apoptosis triggered by many stimuli. They integrate death signals through Bcl-2 family members and co-ordinate caspase activation through the release of apoptogenic factors that are normally sequestered in the mitochondrial intermembrane space. The release of these proteins is the result of the outer mitochondrial membrane becoming permeable. In addition, mitochondria can initiate apoptosis through the production of reactive oxygen species.
Department of Cell Biology, University of Geneva, 30 quai Ansermet, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
Philippe
P
Parone
Muriel
M
Priault
Dominic
D
James
Steven F
SF
Nothwehr
Jean-Claude
JC
Martinou
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D010100:Oxygen