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Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death
09:18

Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death

Published on: December 27, 2016

The role of apoptotic volume decrease and ionic homeostasis in the activation and repression of apoptosis

Carl D Bortner1, John A Cidlowski

  • 1The Laboratory of Signal Transduction, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.

Pflugers Archiv : European Journal of Physiology
|April 27, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Programmed cell death, or apoptosis, involves cell shrinkage regulated by ion flux. Ongoing studies suggest intracellular ion changes critically influence a cell's decision to undergo apoptosis.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is crucial in normal and pathological conditions.
  • The precise molecular mechanisms regulating apoptosis activation and repression are not fully understood.
  • Cell shrinkage, termed apoptotic volume decrease, is a hallmark of apoptosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of cell volume loss and ion flux in regulating apoptosis.
  • To explore the hypothesis that intracellular ion changes influence apoptosis.
  • To elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of apoptosis regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of ion flux during apoptotic volume decrease.
  • Investigating the correlation between intracellular ion concentrations and apoptosis.
  • Utilizing cellular and molecular biology techniques to study apoptosis regulation.

Main Results:

  • Cell shrinkage during apoptosis is associated with significant ion flux.
  • Evidence suggests that ion flux plays a critical role in regulating apoptosis.
  • Intracellular ion concentration changes appear to influence the cell death pathway.

Conclusions:

  • Apoptotic volume decrease is not a passive event but is actively regulated by ion fluxes.
  • Intracellular ion dynamics are key regulators of the apoptosis machinery.
  • Further research into ion transport mechanisms could reveal new therapeutic targets for apoptosis-related diseases.

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