Executionary pathway for apoptosis: lessons from mutant mice

Apoptosis or programmed cell death (PCD) is an evolutionarily conserved cellular process that is essential for normal development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms. Defects in the apoptosis signaling result in many diseases including autoimmune diseases and cancer. The apoptosis signaling pathway was first described genetically in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans which serves as a framework for the more complex apoptotic pathways that exist in mammals. In this review, we will discuss the apoptotic pathways that are emerging in mammals as elucidated by studies of gene-targeted mutant mice.