title: Cytochrome c: the Achilles' heel in apoptosis.
abstract: Cytochrome c is a well-known mitochondrial protein that fulfills life-supporting functions by transferring electrons to the respiratory chain to maintain ATP production. However, during the activation of apoptotic machinery, it is released from mitochondria and, being in the cytosol, it either triggers the activation of the caspase cascade in intrinsic apoptotic pathway, or it is involved in the amplification of extrinsic apoptotic signaling. Accumulating evidence suggests that only unmodified holocytochrome c is efficient in the stimulation of apoptosis. Considering the importance of cytochrome c in both life and death, it was of significant interest to investigate the complete or partial cytochrome c deficiency in vivo. Here, we discuss the importance of distinct amino acid residues for various functions of cytochrome c in cells and mice with targeted cytochrome c mutations.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Fundamental Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Kulikov
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Shilov
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Mufazalov
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gogvadze
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Nedospasov
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhivotovsky
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000737:chemistry / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology*; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D045304:Cytochromes c