title: Does calcium contribute to the CD95 signaling pathway?
abstract: Death receptors play a crucial role in immune surveillance and cellular homeostasis, two processes circumvented by tumor cells. CD95 (also termed Fas or APO1) is a transmembrane receptor, which belongs to the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, and induces a potent apoptotic signal. Initial steps of the CD95 signal take place through protein/protein interactions that bring zymogens such as caspase-8 and caspase-10 closer. Aggregation of these procaspases leads to their autoprocessing, to the release of activated caspases in the cytosol, which causes a caspase cascade, and to the transmission of the apoptotic signal. In parallel, CD95 engagement drives an increase in the intracellular calcium concentration (Ca(2+))i whose origin and functions remain controversial. Although Ca(2+) ions play a central role in apoptosis/necrosis induction, recent studies have highlighted a protective role of Ca(2+) in death receptor signaling. In the light of these findings, we discuss the role of Ca(2+) ions as modulators of CD95 signaling.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U, Institut Bergonié, Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vacher
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khadra
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Vacher
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Charles
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bresson-Bepoldin
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Legembre
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002118:Calcium / Q000502:physiology*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D053218:Receptors, Death Domain / Q000187:drug effects; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D053218:Receptors, Death Domain; D019014:fas Receptor; D020169:Caspases; D002118:Calcium