title: Parthanatos, a messenger of death.
abstract: Poly-ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1)'s roles in the cell span from maintaining life to inducing death. The processes PARP-1 is involved in include DNA repair, DNA transcription, mitosis, and cell death. Of PARP-1's different cellular functions, its role in cell death is of particular interest to designing therapies for diseases. Genetic deletion of PARP-1 revealed that PARP-1 overactivation underlies cell death in models of stroke, diabetes, inflammation and neurodegeneration. Since interfering with PARP-1 mediated cell death will be clinically beneficial, great effort has been invested into understanding mechanisms downstream of PARP-1 overactivation. Recent evidence shows that poly-ADP ribose (PAR) polymer itself can act as a cell death effector downstream of PARP-1. We coined the term parthanatos after Thanatos, the personification of death in Greek mythology, to refer to PAR-mediated cell death. In this review, we will present evidence and questions raised by these recent findings, and summarize the proposed mechanisms by which PARP-1 overactivation kills. It is evident that further understanding of parthanatos opens up new avenues for therapy in ameliorating diseases related to PARP-1 overactivation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 North Broadway St., Suite 711, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
authors.forename: Karen Kate
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: Shaida Ahmad
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Andrabi
authors.forename: Ted Murray
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: Valina Lynn
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Dawson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D000071137:Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C499320:PARP1 protein, human; D000071137:Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases