Programmed cell death in C. elegans.

Genetic screens in the hermaphrodite nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans resulted in the identification of the basal conserved machinery of apoptosis, arguably the single most important finding for our understanding of cell death. The last two years have seen enormous progress in the elucidation of the molecular interactions that lie at the heart of this conserved machinery, along with major insights both into how cell death is activated in the worm and into the mechanism of recognition and engulfment of the cell corpses. In this review, I set out the current models of cell death regulation and execution in C. elegans, focussing in particular on the similarities between cell death in C. elegans and vertebrates. Finally, I attempt to highlight key areas for future progress in cell death research in C. elegans and explore additional ways in which the worm can be used to understand the regulation of cell death in mammals.