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Related Concept Videos

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...
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...
Autophagy01:27

Autophagy

Autophagy is a self-digesting process by which a cell protects itself from threats both within and outside the cell, ranging from abnormal proteins to invading bacteria. In this process, obsolete components of the cell and invading microbes are degraded by hydrolytic enzymes active in an acidic environment of the lysosomal lumen.
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:17

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...
Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells01:17

Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells

Cells undergoing apoptosis form apoptotic bodies that must be removed immediately to prevent inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and necrosis. Phagocytosis is carried out by professional phagocytes such as macrophages or  immature dendritic cells. Non-professional phagocytes such as  epithelial cells and fibroblasts also take part in this process; however, they are not as effective as professional phagocytes. 
Normal cells contain receptors that prevent them from being recognized by phagocytes.
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...

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Use of LysoTracker to Detect Programmed Cell Death in Embryos and Differentiating Embryonic Stem Cells
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Published on: October 11, 2012

A second signal for autophagic cell death?

Corinne Giusti1, Marie-Françoise Luciani, Pierre Golstein

  • 1Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Faculté des Sciences de Luminy, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France.

Autophagy
|July 20, 2010
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Summary

Dictyostelium discoideum offers a unique model for studying autophagic cell death (ACD). Its lack of apoptosis pathways and haploid genome simplify research into non-apoptotic cell death mechanisms.

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Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Use of LysoTracker to Detect Programmed Cell Death in Embryos and Differentiating Embryonic Stem Cells
12:44

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

Published on: October 11, 2012

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

Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis
12:55

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

Published on: February 16, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Autophagic cell death (ACD) is a critical biological process.
  • Investigating ACD is challenging due to the presence of apoptosis pathways in many model organisms.
  • Dictyostelium discoideum, a eukaryotic protist, lacks canonical apoptosis machinery.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish Dictyostelium discoideum as a model system for studying autophagic cell death (ACD).
  • To leverage the absence of apoptosis in Dictyostelium to isolate and study non-apoptotic cell death pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Culturing Dictyostelium cells in vitro as monolayers.
  • Utilizing random insertional mutagenesis facilitated by the organism's haploid genome.
  • Observing cell death phenotypes in genetically modified Dictyostelium.

Main Results:

  • Dictyostelium discoideum cells in monolayers provide a suitable system for ACD research.
  • The absence of caspases and Bcl-2 family proteins prevents apoptosis interference.
  • A paracaspase in Dictyostelium does not appear to influence cell death upon inactivation.

Conclusions:

  • Dictyostelium discoideum is a valuable model for studying autophagic cell death.
  • The organism's genetic tractability and lack of apoptosis simplify the study of non-apoptotic cell death.