To kill or to arrest: that is the new question for Apaf-1.
In this issue of Molecular Cell, Zermati et al. (2007) report that Apaf-1 is essential for the DNA damage-induced intra-S phase checkpoint response. This new role for Apaf-1 is unrelated to its proapoptotic function but is evolutionarily conserved in Ced-4.
Sanchez-Olea
Roberto
R
Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Yuan
Junying
J
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D053477:Apoptotic Protease-Activating Factor 1 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000201:enzymology; D002453:Cell Cycle; D004249:DNA Damage; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology; D051379:Mice
D053477:Apoptotic Protease-Activating Factor 1; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; C089224:Ced-4 protein, C elegans