RIP: a novel protein containing a death domain that interacts with Fas/APO-1 (CD95) in yeast and causes cell death

B Z Stanger1, P Leder, T H Lee

  • 1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.

Cell
|May 19, 1995
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified a novel protein, receptor interacting protein (RIP), that interacts with the Fas receptor and induces programmed cell death (apoptosis). This discovery sheds light on the molecular mechanisms of cell death signaling pathways.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Fas/APO-1 (CD95) receptor ligation triggers programmed cell death.
  • Understanding the intracellular signaling pathways of Fas is crucial for cell death research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify proteins interacting with the intracellular domain of the Fas receptor.
  • To characterize the function and properties of novel Fas-interacting proteins.

Main Methods:

  • Yeast two-hybrid system for protein-protein interaction screening.
  • Co-immunoprecipitation and Western blotting to confirm interactions.
  • Transient transfection and morphological analysis to assess apoptosis induction.

Main Results:

  • Identified a novel 74 kDa protein, receptor interacting protein (RIP), that binds to the Fas intracellular domain.
  • RIP also interacts with tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) and contains a death domain.
  • Overexpression of RIP induces apoptosis in transfected cells.

Conclusions:

  • RIP is a novel protein that mediates Fas-induced apoptosis.
  • RIP plays a significant role in programmed cell death pathways.
  • RIP represents a new class of apoptosis-inducing proteins.

Related Concept Videos

Regulation of the Unfolded Protein Response01:31

Regulation of the Unfolded Protein Response

Inositol-requiring kinase one or IRE1 is the most conserved eukaryotic unfolded protein response (UPR) receptor. It is a type I transmembrane protein kinase receptor with a distinctive site-specific RNase activity. As the binding mechanics of the misfolded proteins with the N-terminal domain of IRE-1 are unclear, three binding models — direct, indirect, and allosteric -- are proposed for receptor activation. Nevertheless, it is known that once a misfolded protein associates with IRE1, it...
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...
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 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...
Necrosis01:16

Necrosis

Necrosis is considered as an “accidental” or unexpected form of cell death that ends in cell lysis. The first noticeable mention of “necrosis” was in 1859 when Rudolf Virchow used this term to describe advanced tissue breakdown in his compilation titled “Cell Pathology”.
Morphological Manifestations of Necrosis
Necrotic cells show different types of morphological appearance depending on the type of tissue and infection. In coagulative necrosis, cells become anucleated and die, but their...