Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

LPS and ATP-induced Death of PMA-differentiated THP-1 Macrophages and its Validation
06:12

LPS and ATP-induced Death of PMA-differentiated THP-1 Macrophages and its Validation

Published on: May 3, 2024

Programmed cell death in the nervous system--a programmed cell fate?

Irene Miguel-Aliaga1, Stefan Thor

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK. im307@cam.ac.uk

Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|May 19, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Programmed cell death (PCD) in the nervous system occurs through two main pathways: stochastic removal and hard-wired, lineage-specific cell death. This review explores the genetic control of programmed PCD, similar to terminal differentiation gene expression.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Developmental cell death in the nervous system occurs via two primary modes.
  • One mode involves stochastic removal of neurons/glia due to trophic factor competition.
  • The second mode is a hard-wired, lineage-specific programmed cell death (PCD).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent findings on the genetic control of programmed cell death (PCD) in the nervous system.
  • To explore the evolutionary reasons for complex genetic control in PCD.
  • To highlight the parallels between PCD genetic control and terminal differentiation gene expression.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on programmed cell death (PCD) in the nervous system.
  • Analysis of genetic control mechanisms for PCD.
  • Comparison of PCD gene regulation with terminal differentiation gene regulation.

Main Results:

  • Programmed cell death (PCD) is not limited to invertebrates and occurs in vertebrates.
  • Activation of apoptotic machinery is under complex, combinatorial genetic control.
  • This control is analogous to that governing terminal differentiation genes.

Conclusions:

  • Programmed cell death (PCD) in the nervous system exhibits sophisticated genetic regulation.
  • The complex control of PCD likely evolved to ensure precise neuronal and glial development.
  • Understanding this genetic control provides insights into nervous system development and evolution.

More Related Videos

Use of LysoTracker to Detect Programmed Cell Death in Embryos and Differentiating Embryonic Stem Cells12:44

Use of LysoTracker to Detect Programmed Cell Death in Embryos and Differentiating Embryonic Stem Cells

Published on: October 11, 2012

Modeling Neuronal Death and Degeneration in Mouse Primary Cerebellar Granule Neurons10:36

Modeling Neuronal Death and Degeneration in Mouse Primary Cerebellar Granule Neurons

Published on: November 6, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Overview of Cell Death01:30

Overview of Cell Death

Cell death is an essential process where the body gets rid of old or damaged cells. Cell proliferation and death need to be balanced, as an imbalance between the two may lead to cancer or autoimmune diseases.
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the 20th century...
Necrosis01:16

Necrosis

Necrosis is considered as an “accidental” or unexpected form of cell death that ends in cell lysis. The first noticeable mention of “necrosis” was in 1859 when Rudolf Virchow used this term to describe advanced tissue breakdown in his compilation titled “Cell Pathology”.
Morphological Manifestations of Necrosis
Necrotic cells show different types of morphological appearance depending on the type of tissue and infection. In coagulative necrosis, cells become anucleated and die, but their...
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy01:22

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...
Apoptosis01:30

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.
Cellular Injury IlI: Cellular Death01:11

Cellular Injury IlI: Cellular Death

Cell death is the irreversible loss of cellular structure and function, representing the final stage of severe injury. It plays a key role in both normal physiology and disease.Types of Cell DeathThe two main types are necrosis and apoptosis, though others like necroptosis and pyroptosis also exist.Necrosis:Necrosis is an unregulated form of cell death caused by severe injury such as trauma, toxins, or ischemia. It is characterized by cell swelling, membrane loss, rupture, and leakage of...
Autophagic Cell Death01:18

Autophagic Cell Death

Christian de Duve discovered “autophagy,” a process in which cellular components are engulfed by membrane-bound organelles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes to digest the enclosed contents. Autophagy is generally activated in cells to prevent cell death. However, cell death is triggered when the damage is beyond repair.
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...