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Related Concept Videos

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...
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

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...
Caspases01:24

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.
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.
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
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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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Development of Stem Cell-derived Antigen-specific Regulatory T Cells Against Autoimmunity
10:10

Development of Stem Cell-derived Antigen-specific Regulatory T Cells Against Autoimmunity

Published on: November 8, 2016

A role for apoptosis-inducing factor in T cell development.

Hridesh Banerjee1, Abhishek Das, Smita Srivastava

  • 1National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi 110067, India.

The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|August 8, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Apoptosis-inducing factor (Aif) is crucial for T cell survival during thymic development. Loss of Aif function causes T cell death by regulating oxidative stress at the β-selection stage.

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Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • Mitochondrial Biology

Background:

  • Apoptosis-inducing factor (Aif) is a mitochondrial protein involved in cell survival and metabolism.
  • Dysregulation of Aif can impact cellular processes, but its specific role in T cell development is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of Aif in T cell development within the thymus.
  • To elucidate the mechanism by which Aif influences thymocyte survival at the β-selection stage.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of aif-hypomorphic harlequin (Hq) mice.
  • Assessment of thymocyte development and apoptosis.
  • Complementation studies using transgenes encoding wild-type and mutant Aif.
  • In vivo antioxidant treatment and oxidative stress measurements.

Main Results:

  • Hq mice exhibit thymic hypocellularity and a developmental block at the β-selection stage due to apoptosis.
  • The defect is cell-autonomous and specific to the T cell lineage, with no B cell abnormalities.
  • Wild-type or DNA-binding-deficient Aif transgenes rescued the defect, but an oxidoreductase-deficient mutant did not.
  • Antioxidant treatment reversed the thymic block, and Hq T cells showed increased oxidative stress.

Conclusions:

  • Aif plays a critical, lineage-specific antiapoptotic role in T cell development by managing reactive oxygen species.
  • This function is essential for survival during thymic β-selection, highlighting Aif's nonredundant role in the T cell lineage.