Intracellular second messengers mediate stress inducible hormesis and Programmed Cell Death: A review

Area of Science:

• Cellular biology
• Biochemistry
• Stress response pathways

Background:

• Cellular stress induces a wide array of responses, including apoptosis and hormesis.
• Second messenger systems play a critical role in mediating these stress responses.
• Current research often overemphasizes classical mediators like Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), calcium, and ceramide, neglecting others.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the diverse intracellular second messengers involved in cellular stress responses.
• To emphasize the multifaceted nature of initial stress-mediated signaling.
• To highlight the potential of studying second messenger systems for understanding stress-induced programmed cell death (PCD).

Main Methods:

• Literature review of intracellular second messengers in stress responses.
• Integration of information on diverse second messenger systems.
• Analysis of the role of second messengers in initiating cell survival and death pathways.

Main Results:

• Cellular stress activates a multitude of intracellular second messengers simultaneously.
• These diverse second messengers collectively orchestrate cell survival and/or cell death outcomes.
• The complexity of second messenger networks is often underestimated.

Conclusions:

• Initial cellular responses to stress involve a broad spectrum of second messengers.
• A comprehensive understanding of these signaling networks is crucial for elucidating stress-mediated PCD.
• Further investigation into various second messenger systems can illuminate the initiation of stress-induced cell death.