Role of CED-4 in the activation of CED-3.

摘要: Genetic analyses of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans have identified three core components cell-death apparatus1. CED-3 and CED-4 promote, whereas CED-9 inhibits cell death. Recent studies indicate that might interact independently with CED-9, forming crux a multicomponent death complex2. But except for its role as an adaptor molecule, little is known about function. A clue came observation mutation phosphate-binding loop (P-loop) disrupts ability to induce chromatin condensation in yeast3. Further, P-loop mutant (CED-4K165R) fails process vivo, both insect4 mammalian cells (unpublished). We now confirm induces activation subsequent apoptosis, requires binding ATP.