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Caspases

Caspases

Caspase, a family of cysteine proteases, serve as effectors in apoptosis. The ced3 gene in C.elegans was first identified to be involved in apoptosis. This gene encodes the ced-3 caspase that is similar to the interleukin-1-beta converting enzyme or ICE in mammals. In addition to apoptosis, caspases also function in the inflammatory response. Inflammatory caspases are essential in activating pro-inflammatory cytokines that recruit immune cells and block the replication of pathogens inside cells.

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The extrinsic apoptotic pathway is initiated when extracellular death-inducing signals, such as specific cytokines, activate the death receptors expressed on the cell surface. The immune cells involved in this pathway are natural killer cells (NK cells) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. NK cells are critical in innate immune response, while cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are associated with adaptive immune response. These cells recognize specific receptors expressed on the altered cells and activate...

Apoptosis

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a combination of two Greek words, 'apo' and 'ptosis,' meaning separation and falling off, respectively. Hippocrates used this word to describe gangrene, which was caused due to bandaging of fractured bones. Apoptosis was distinguished from necrosis in 1970 when John Kerr reported observations of morphological changes occurring during apoptosis. During one experiment, he observed that the disruption of blood supply to the liver tissue resulted in a size reduction of the tissue.

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...

Antifungal Agents

Antifungal Agents

Amphotericin B is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that exploits structural differences between fungal and mammalian cell membranes. Its amphipathic structure—featuring a hydrophobic polyene-lactone ring and a hydrophilic region containing mycosamine and carboxylic acid groups—enables selective binding to ergosterol, a sterol predominantly found in fungal plasma membranes. This selective interaction underlies the drug’s antifungal activity, although weak binding to cholesterol contributes to...

Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

Cells respond to damage and stress through highly coordinated processes that decide whether they survive or undergo controlled self-destruction. Two major pathways involved in this regulation are apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, and autophagy, a survival mechanism that helps cells adapt to adverse conditions.ApoptosisApoptosis removes aged or injured cells to maintain tissue balance. During this process, the cell shrinks, chromatin condenses and fragments, and membrane-bound...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

In Vivo Biosensor Tracks Non-apoptotic Caspase Activity in Drosophila

In Vivo Biosensor Tracks Non-apoptotic Caspase Activity in Drosophila

Published on: November 27, 2016

Fungal apoptosis: function, genes and gene function.

Amir Sharon¹, Alin Finkelstein, Neta Shlezinger

¹Department of Plant Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. amirsh@ex.tau.ac.il

FEMS Microbiology Reviews

|May 7, 2009

Summary

Programmed cell death, or apoptosis, occurs in fungi and shares similarities with mammals but has a simpler network. Understanding fungal apoptosis is key for developing new antifungal treatments.

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Last Updated: Jun 23, 2026

In Vivo Biosensor Tracks Non-apoptotic Caspase Activity in Drosophila

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Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis

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Detecting Anastasis In Vivo by CaspaseTracker Biosensor

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Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Mycology

Background:

Programmed cell death, including apoptosis, is a fundamental biological process in all living organisms.
In fungi, apoptotic-like cell death is observed during natural processes like aging and reproduction, and can be triggered by environmental stressors.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the similarities and differences in apoptotic pathways between fungi and mammals.
To explore the potential of targeting fungal apoptosis for novel antifungal therapies.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of apoptotic machinery and regulatory proteins in fungi and mammals.
Functional studies of apoptotic genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and filamentous fungi.

Main Results:

Fungal apoptosis shares core machinery with mammals but exhibits a less complex and more ancient network.
Functional conservation exists for some animal proteins in fungi, even without sequence similarity.
Significant differences in function and action modes were found between fungal and human apoptotic proteins.

Conclusions:

Fungal apoptotic networks are partially conserved but distinct from human pathways.
Identifying key regulatory proteins in fungal apoptosis is crucial for therapeutic development.
Apoptotic proteins represent a promising target for novel antifungal drug discovery.