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Published on: October 11, 2012
Genetic control of programmed cell death during animal development
1Department of Genetics, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA. barbara.conradt@dartmouth.edu
Annual Review of Genetics
|November 6, 2009
Summary
Programmed cell death is essential for animal development. Recent studies reveal how regulatory pathways control specific cell death events in nematodes, flies, and mice, highlighting its integral role.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Programmed cell death, or apoptosis, is a fundamental process in animal development.
- Genetic studies in model organisms have elucidated molecular mechanisms and regulatory pathways of cell death.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in understanding the regulation of programmed cell death during development.
- To focus on specific programmed cell death events in Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, and mice.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent genetic studies and research findings.
- Analysis of regulatory pathways controlling programmed cell death events.
Main Results:
- Identification of molecular machineries responsible for programmed cell death.
- Revealed diverse regulatory pathways governing specific cell death events.
- Demonstrated that these regulatory pathways have additional crucial roles in development.
Conclusions:
- Programmed cell death is an integral and regulated aspect of animal development.
- Regulatory pathways of cell death are often involved in other developmental processes.
- Further research continues to uncover the complex interplay between cell death and development.
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