Apoptotic and Nonapoptotic Caspase Functions in Animal Development
- Department of Genetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, and CREST, JST, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Correspondence: miura{at}mol.f.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Abstract
A developing animal is exposed to both intrinsic and extrinsic stresses. One stress response is caspase activation. Caspase activation not only controls apoptosis but also proliferation, differentiation, cell shape, and cell migration. Caspase activation drives development by executing cell death or nonapoptotic functions in a cell-autonomous manner, and by secreting signaling molecules or generating mechanical forces, in a noncell autonomous manner.
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