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Related Concept Videos

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.
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...
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...
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.
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.
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Lighting Up the Pathways to Caspase Activation Using Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation
08:47

Lighting Up the Pathways to Caspase Activation Using Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation

Published on: March 5, 2018

Apoptosome structure, assembly, and procaspase activation.

Shujun Yuan1, Christopher W Akey

  • 1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, 700 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA.

Structure (London, England : 1993)
|April 9, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The apoptosome, a cell death platform, activates procaspases via CARD-CARD disk assembly. This mechanism enhances local procaspase-9 concentration, facilitating intrinsic cell death pathway activation.

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Measuring Composition of CD95 Death-Inducing Signaling Complex and Processing of Procaspase-8 in this Complex
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Measuring Composition of CD95 Death-Inducing Signaling Complex and Processing of Procaspase-8 in this Complex

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

Published on: February 16, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 12, 2026

Lighting Up the Pathways to Caspase Activation Using Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation
08:47

Lighting Up the Pathways to Caspase Activation Using Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation

Published on: March 5, 2018

Measuring Composition of CD95 Death-Inducing Signaling Complex and Processing of Procaspase-8 in this Complex
07:17

Measuring Composition of CD95 Death-Inducing Signaling Complex and Processing of Procaspase-8 in this Complex

Published on: August 2, 2021

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:

  • Cellular biology
  • Molecular mechanisms of cell death

Background:

  • Apaf-1-like molecules form the apoptosome, a crucial platform for initiating programmed cell death.
  • The intrinsic cell death pathway relies on apoptosome-mediated activation of procaspases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the structural assembly of cell death platforms, specifically the apoptosome.
  • To understand the molecular interactions driving procaspase activation within the apoptosome.

Main Methods:

  • Integration of crystal structures of Apaf-1 monomers and CED-4 dimers.
  • Analysis of existing apoptosome structures across different species (humans, nematodes, flies).

Main Results:

  • Identified the formation of a CARD-CARD disk between procaspase-9 and Apaf-1 in humans.
  • Demonstrated that this disk interacts with the apoptosome platform, creating an asymmetric proteolysis machine.
  • Revealed that the disk concentrates procaspase-9 catalytic domains, promoting zymogen activation.

Conclusions:

  • The CARD-CARD disk is essential for efficient procaspase-9 activation on the apoptosome.
  • This structural insight provides a foundation for future research into apoptosome-mediated cell death.
  • Comparative structural analysis highlights conserved mechanisms in cell death platform assembly.