Mitochondria and apoptosis: emerging concepts.

Mitochondria and apoptosis: emerging concepts. F1000Prime Rep. 2015;7:42 Authors: Li MX, Dewson G Abstract As mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell, their damage during the cell suicide process of apoptosis is essentially responsible for cellular demise in most cells. A key family of proteins, the B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family, determines the integrity of mitochondria in the face of apoptotic insult. A comprehensive understanding of the molecular details of how apoptosis is initiated and how it culminates is essential if apoptosis is to fulfil its undoubted potential as a therapeutic target to treat diseases ranging from cancer to neurodegenerative conditions. Recent advances have provided significant insight into the control of this fundamental process while prompting a re-evaluation of what was considered dogma in the field. Emerging evidence also points to a potential overarching control network that governs not only apoptosis but other fundamental mitochondrial processes, including mitochondrial fission/fusion and quality control. PMID: 26097715 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: F1000 Medicine Reports - Category: Biomedical Science Tags: F1000Prime Rep Source Type: research