细胞命运,生死攸关  

To die or not to die,for cell that is the question

作　　者：吴缅[1] 姚展[1] 

机构地区：[1]合肥微尺度物质科学国家实验室,中国科学技术大学生命科学学院肿瘤和细胞凋亡实验室,安徽合肥230027

出　　处：《中国科学技术大学学报》2008年第8期873-877,共5页JUSTC

基　　金：国家自然科学基金(30530200和30728003);国家重点基础研究发展(973)计划(2006CB933300和2006CB910300);中国科学院知识创新工程重要方向性项目(KSCX1-YW-R-57)资助

摘　　要：细胞凋亡是指为维持内环境稳定,由基因控制的细胞自主的有序的死亡.它是真核生物所独有的.与细胞坏死不同,它是一种主动过程,涉及一系列基因的激活、表达以及调控.它并不是病理条件下自体损伤的一种现象,而是为更好地适应生存环境而主动发生的一种死亡过程.细胞凋亡作为调控细胞生死的重要方式,在生命体中通常保持在一个平衡状态,不论过量的凋亡还是过少的凋亡都会引发疾病,有时甚至导致机体的死亡,肿瘤就是一个典型的例子.而这种平衡是受到一系列核酸和蛋白严密调控的,其中包括抑凋亡的IAP家族分子、促凋亡的caspase分子以及具有多种功能的Bcl-2家族分子和p53分子,甚至包括目前备受关注的非编码RNA等.它们通过复杂的细胞信号转导网络,精细地调节着细胞生死的平衡,而对于这些分子参与的调控细节的研究正是我们所关注的问题.揭示其中的机制不仅对于了解细胞的生理行为有重要意义,也将为了解生命的起源以及寻找更为有效的疾病治疗途径提供有价值的线索.Apoptosis, or the programmed cell death, is employed by eukaryotes to eliminate damaged or unwanted cells to maintain homeostasis. Unlike necrosis, apoptosis is an active, genetically controlled sequence of events which involve the activation, expression and regulation of multiple genes. Apoptosis reflects a strategy of cells to adapt to a changing environment rather than passive self-damage under pathological conditions. Malfunction of apoptosis, either being ＂too much＂ or ＂too little＂, has been implicated in various diseases, including tumorigenesis. Due to the critical roles apoptosis play in maintaining tissue homeostasis, pro- and anti-apoptotic signals are carefully balanced within cells. This balance is achieved through the products of a series of apoptosis-related genes, including the anti-apoptotic IAP （inhibitor of apoptosis protein） family, the pro-apoptotic caspase protease family, the p53 tumor suppressor as well as recently characterized non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs. Through directly or indirectly interacting with each other, these factors constitute a complex signaling network whose overall function determines the progress of apoptosis and ultimately, the fate of the cell. Defining the molecular mechanisms by which each factor contributes to apoptosis will not only deepen our understanding of cell physiology and the origin of life, but also enable a more rational approach to anticancer drug design and therapy.

关 键 词：细胞凋亡 半胱氨酸蛋白酶 线粒体 泛素化 凋亡抑制蛋白 

分 类 号：Q291[生物学—细胞生物学]