title: Apoptotic signaling pathways: caspases and stress-activated protein kinases.
abstract: Apoptotic cell death is an active process mediated by various signaling pathways, which include the caspase cascade and the stress-activated protein kinase pathways. The caspase cascade is activated by two distinct routes: one from cell surface and the other from mitochondria. Activation of the route from cell surface requires the cellular components that include membrane receptors, adaptor proteins such as TRADD and FADD, and caspase-8, while activation of the other from mitochondria requires Apaf-1, caspase-9, and cytosolic cytochrome c. On the other hand, persistent stimulation of the stress-activated protein kinase pathway is also shown to mediate apoptosis in many cell types. Gene-targeting studies with jnk- or jip-null mice, in particular, strongly suggest that this signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in the cellular machinery for apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: National Creative Research Initiative Center for Cell Death, Graduate School of Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 136-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Ssang-Goo
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Eui-Ju
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D051379:Mice; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D015398:Signal Transduction; D047988:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D047988:Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Peptides and Proteins; D045304:Cytochromes c; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases; C084083:Fad7 protein, Arabidopsis; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; C506434:Casp9 protein, mouse; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases