Apoptosis
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Introduction
- Apoptosis is from the Greek apo meaning 'from' & ptosis meaning 'a fall'. The term apoptosis was originally used to describe the cell death that occurred outside the zone of central necrosis resulting from ligation of the portal vein.
- Apoptosis is characterized by controlled auto-digestion of the cell through the activation of cellular proteases & endonucleases (1). Cytoskeletal disruption, cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing, nuclear condensation & loss of mitochondrial function are charac- teristics of apoptosis. The dying cell maintains its plasma membrane integrity; however alterations in surface molecules of apoptotic cells signal resident phagocytes to engulf them.
- An important feature of apoptosis is that it results in elimina- tion of the dying cell without induction of the inflammatory process. In contrast, necrotic cell death is associated with an early loss in membrane integrity, leakage of cytoplasmic contents & induction of the inflammatory process. Necrosis is pathologic, whereas apoptosis can be pathologic or physiologic.
- Two cell surface cytokine receptors, Fas/Apo-1 antigen & the TNF receptor trigger apoptosis by binding endogenous ligands or specific agonist antibodies. Receptor activation leads to activation of caspases (the executioners).
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Additional Terms
Internet Database
Kegg: [1]
References
- Thompson CB. Apoptosis in the pathogenesis and treatment of disease. Science. 1995 Mar 10;267(5203):1456-62. Review. PMID: [2]
- Sedlak TW, Snyder SH. Messenger molecules and cell death: therapeutic implications. JAMA. 2006 Jan 4;295(1):81-9. PMID: [3]
- Okada H, Mak TW. Pathways of apoptotic and non-apoptotic death in tumour cells. Nat Rev Cancer. 2004 Aug;4(8):592-603. Review. No abstract available. PMID: [4]
- Danial NN, Korsmeyer SJ. Cell death: critical control points. Cell. 2004 Jan 23;116(2):205-19. Review. PMID: [5]
