Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms. It is characterized by specific morphological changes including cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation, and chromosomal DNA fragmentation. Between 50-70 billion cells die each day due to apoptosis in the average human adult. Apoptosis is generally controlled programmed cell death that is involved in development and immune defense. It can be triggered by internal signals from within the cell or external signals from outside the cell. Caspases are a family of cysteine proteases that play an essential role in apoptosis by cleaving other proteins.
2. INTRODUCTION
Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death.
Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes (morphology)
and death.
These changes include blebbing, cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation,
chromatin condensation, and chromosomal DNA fragmentation.
Between 50 and 70 billion cells die each day due to apoptosis in the
average human adult. For an average child between the ages of 8 and
14, approximately 20 billion to 30 billion cells die a day.
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3. Each living organism has its own life spam and this pattern is followed by
each organ or an organism.
During the development of organ or organism, there is selective, patterned
death of several cell occur.
This is called as Apoptosis or programmed cell death.
Apoptosis is generally controlled programed cell death, basically involved
in developmental process and immune defense system of an organism.
Apoptosis can be triggered by various internal (intrinsic) and external
(extrinsic) signals.
APOPTOSIS
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4. HISTORY OF APOPTOSIS
German scientist Carl Vogt was first to describe the principle of apoptosis in 1842.
Fleming 1885 studied the similar phenomenon in epithelial cells and named as
chromolysis.
In 1972 Kerr first introduced the term apoptosis in a publication.
Kerr received the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize on March 14, 2000,
for his description of apoptosis.
The 2002 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to Sydney Brenner, Horvitz and
John E. Sulston for their work identifying genes that control apoptosis.
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5. Thus Apoptosis can also be defined as the genetically controlled structural and
functional death of a cell.
The cell death may occur in two different ways
I. Death by Injury
If there is any mechanical damage to the integrity of cell which is unrepairable, in
such case the cell death occurs.
II. Death by suicide
By cell shrinkage (due to insufficient food and nutrition)
By development of bubble like blooms on cell of surface
Chromatin degradation
By mitochondrial breakdown [after the mitochondrial breakdown, it release
Cytochrome-C and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) which are toxic to cell
protoplasm].
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6. CASPASE
Caspase are the family of protease enzymes playing essential role in
programmed cell death.
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It is family of cystein protease.
Present in cell in inactive form.
Cleave protein bearing a amino acid sequence located at
the terminal.
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BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES RELATED WITH APOPTOSIS
Following changes can be observed in Apoptosis
Chromatin condensation and degradation
Fragmentation of DNA
Formation of Apoptotic bodies
These are supposed to be biochemical characters of Apoptosis. These changes
during Apoptosis occurs due to action of DNAses and Proteases, which are present in
nucleus or released by cell organelles. For example:- ICE protease family.
Mitochondria also play an important role in Apoptosis.
After infection by any pathogen to the cell at the site of invasion accumulate
high level of toxic phenolic compound called as phytoalexins
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10 PATHWAYS TO APOPTOSIS
1) Death receptor pathways /(Extrinsic Pathway)
2) Mitochondrial pathways /(Intrinsic Pathway)
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Death receptor pathways /(Extrinsic Pathway)
Induction is mediated through cell surface receptors know
to be ‘Death receptors’.
Death ligands are activating these receptors.
Further activation of Caspases leads to cell death
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Mitochondrial pathways /(Intrinsic Pathway)
▪ Release of protein from mitochondrial inner membrane
into cytosol.
▪ DNA damage induce apoptosis.
▪ Cellular stress, heat shock, oxidative stress, cellular
damage, that are also induced apoptosis.
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OVERALL GENETICS OF APOPTOSIS (PCD)
It can be summarized in following four steps
1. Stimulation
The extracellular signals recognized by receptors present on plasma
membrane(CD45)
2. The Intracellular response
The signal-Receptor complex (TNF/Fas-CD45) induce the intracellular
signalling. It activates the transcription factor to induce Apoptosis related
genes.
3. Cell dismantling
The caspase cascade execution leads to the chromatin condensation and DNA
degradation & expression of phagocyte recognition molecules.
4. Phagocytosis
The phagocyte recognizing molecule recognize the degraded material in cell
& binds with them to discard out of cell.
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IMPORTANCE OF APOPTOSIS IN PLANTS
Role in Xylogenesis
Role in sex determination
Role in Senescence and fruit ripening
Role in plant defence
Role in other ubiquitous plant processes