Apoptosis: suicide, execution or murder?

Apoptosis, a controlled form of cell death, appears to be regulated in several ways. Early studies indicated that de novo protein synthesis was required for apoptosis of thymocytes, but more recent studies have found that other cells can undergo apoptosis when protein synthesis is blocked or that inhibition of protein or RNA synthesis can induce apoptosis. Whether these findings reflect distinct forms of apoptosis or variations on a single pathway is not yet known. In this article the case for a single pathway to apoptosis, accessible at multiple points, is discussed.