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Mitochondria as decision‐makers in cell death
Author(s) -
Borutaite Vilmante
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
environmental and molecular mutagenesis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1098-2280
pISSN - 0893-6692
DOI - 10.1002/em.20564
Subject(s) - mitochondrion , programmed cell death , cytosol , microbiology and biotechnology , cytochrome c , apoptosome , biology , apoptosis , cell , caspase , biochemistry , enzyme
Mitochondria play an essential role in both cell health and death. Increasing experimental evidence suggests that mitochondria are involved in active control of cell death processes at several levels including (1) mitochondrial membrane permeabilization and release of proapoptotic proteins, (2) post‐cytochrome c regulation of caspase activation, and (3) supply of energy for execution of death program. The purpose of this review is to discuss the main mechanisms by which alterations in mitochondrial outer membrane permit the translocation of proapoptotic proteins into cytosol, how mitochondria “make decisions” on the mode of cell death, and how they regulate caspase activation by changing the redox state of cytosolic cytochrome c. The interventions into these processes may constitute an important strategy for the pharmacological prevention of unwanted cell death in various pathologies or, conversely, for facilitation of anticancer therapy. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.