Expansion and evolution of cell death programmes.
Cell death has historically been subdivided into regulated and unregulated mechanisms. Apoptosis, a form of regulated cell death, reflects a cell's decision to die in response to cues and is executed by intrinsic cellular machinery. Unregulated cell death (often called necrosis) is caused by overwhelming stress that is incompatible with cell survival. Emerging evidence, however, suggests that these two processes do not adequately explain the various cell death mechanisms. Recent data point to the existence of multiple non-apoptotic, regulated cell death mechanisms, some of which overlap or are mutually exclusive with apoptosis. Here we examine how and why these different cell death programmes have evolved, with an eye towards new cytoprotective therapeutic opportunities.
Degterev
Alexei
A
Tufts University, School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, 136 Harrison Ave., Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA.
Yuan
Junying
J
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D053477:Apoptotic Protease-Activating Factor 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020169:Caspases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009336:Necrosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D053477:Apoptotic Protease-Activating Factor 1; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D020169:Caspases