Apoptotic cell death 'Nixed' by an ER-mitochondrial necrotic pathway

摘要

Cells commit suicide in a highly regulated manner to sculpt an organism during development, to maintain homeostasis in postnatal tissues, and in response to noxious cues. It was thought until recently that cells in this situation were eliminated solely by apoptosis, a process whereby they shrink, fragment, and undergo phagocytosis-all while maintaining plasma membrane integrity and thereby avoiding inflammation. Necrosis, a non-apoptotic form of cell death characterized by depletion of cellular ATP, plasma membrane rupture, cell swelling, and marked inflammation, has been recognized for centuries but until recently was considered a passive and unregulated process. Work in worms and mammals over the past decade, however, has led to the unexpected discovery that, at least in some instances, necrosis can be deliberate and regulated (1-5).