title: [Fundamental mechanisms of apoptosis in the simplest invertebrates, the Porifera].
abstract: Sponges (phylum Porifera) represent the oldest metazoan taxon. Through a variety of molecular biological methods the existence of elaborated mechanisms such as programmed cell death was established in those organisms that are regarded today as living fossils. Among the apoptotic proteins identified in sponges are the key molecules of apoptotic pathways, effectors (caspases, death domain proteins) and regulators (Bcl-2 homologues) of programmed cell death. Furthermore, when introduced in vertebrate cells one sponge anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 homologue displayed its pro-survival function in the heterologous system, confirming the conserved character of apoptotic cell death. Comparing apoptotic elements of both the most ancient and the most recent of all metazoans might elucidate the evolution of programmed cell death and processes involved, such as aging.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologische Chemie und Pathobiochemie, Abteilung Angewandte Molekularbiologie, Fachbereich Medizin, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität, Duesbergweg 6, 55099 Main, Germany. wiens@uni-mainz.de
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wiens
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D007448:Invertebrates; D011161:Porifera / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D020169:Caspases