The Regulation of Calcium Signaling in Apoptosis

Abstract: Apoptosis is an active form of cell death which is intricately regulated and distinct from necrosis. It is crucial for animal and human development， organ morphogenesis， tissue homeostasis， and the removal of infected or redundant cells. Calcium ion has been known for a long time to play an important role in intracellular signal transduction， acting as a ¹second messenger¹ of various types of extracellular signals. The oscillations and waves of calcium can coordinate many rhythmic activities of cells. Previous studies assume that the increase of Ca2+ level is a consequence of apoptosis. However， recent investigations indicate Ca2+ signal could participate not only in the execution phase but also induction phase of apoptosis. In this article， we review the latest progress on calcium signaling study in apoptosis.
    

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2007.06.0001