Mitochondrial control of caspase-dependent and -independent cell death.
Mitochondria control whether a cell lives or dies. The role mitochondria play in deciding the fate of a cell was first identified in the mid-1990s, because mitochondria-enriched fractions were found to be necessary for activation of death proteases, the caspases, in a cell-free model of apoptotic cell death. Mitochondrial involvement in apoptosis was subsequently shown to be regulated by Bcl-2, a protein that was known to contribute to cancer in specific circumstances. The important role of mitochondria in promoting caspase activation has therefore been a major focus of apoptosis research; however, it is also clear that mitochondria contribute to cell death by caspase-independent mechanisms. In this review, we will highlight recent findings and discuss the mechanism underlying the mitochondrial control of apoptosis and caspase-independent cell death.
Inserm, U895, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire (C3M), équipe 3 AVENIR, 06204, Nice Cedex 3, France.
Ludivine A
LA
Pradelli
Marie
M
Bénéteau
Jean-Ehrland
JE
Ricci
D000818:Animals; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016923:Cell Death; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology*; D051336:Mitochondrial Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D010539:Permeability
D020169:Caspases