Four deaths and a funeral: from caspases to alternative mechanisms

Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2001 Aug;2(8):589-98. doi: 10.1038/35085008.

Abstract

A single family of proteases, the caspases, has long been considered the pivotal executioner of all programmed cell death. However, recent findings of evolutionarily conserved, caspase-independent controlled death mechanisms have opened new perspectives on the biology of cell demise, with particular implications for neurobiology, cancer research and immunological processes.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis / physiology*
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / physiology
  • Caspases / physiology*
  • Chromatin / ultrastructure
  • Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Eukaryotic Cells / cytology
  • Eukaryotic Cells / enzymology
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Fungal Proteins / physiology
  • Helminth Proteins / physiology
  • Humans
  • Mitochondria / physiology
  • Necrosis
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Neoplasms / therapy
  • Nervous System / cytology
  • Nervous System / embryology
  • Nervous System / growth & development
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / physiology
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / physiology
  • Signal Transduction
  • fas Receptor / physiology

Substances

  • Chromatin
  • Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors
  • Fungal Proteins
  • Helminth Proteins
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor
  • fas Receptor
  • Caspases