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Apoptosis in development

Nature volume 407, pages 796–801 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

Essential to the construction, maintenance and repair of tissues is the ability to induce suicide of supernumerary, misplaced or damaged cells with high specificity and efficiency. Study of three principal organisms — the nematode, fruitfly and mouse — indicate that cell suicide is implemented through the activation of an evolutionarily conserved molecular programme intrinsic to all metazoan cells. Dysfunctions in the regulation or execution of cell suicide are implicated in a wide range of developmental abnormalities and diseases.

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Figure 1: The apoptotic system in C. elegans.
Figure 2: The apoptotic system in D. melanogaster.
Figure 3: The apoptotic system in mammals.

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  1. Pascal Meier

    Present address: The Breakthrough Toby Robins Breast Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, Chester Beatty Laboratories, Fulham Road, London, SW3 6JB, UK

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  1. Signal Transduction Laboratory, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, 44 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PX, UK

    Pascal Meier

  2. UCSF Cancer Center, 2340 Sutter Street, San Francisco, 94143-0875, California, USA

    Andrew Finch & Gerard Evan

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Meier, P., Finch, A. & Evan, G. Apoptosis in development. Nature 407, 796–801 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35037734

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