The genetic regulation of apoptosis.

Dramatic advances, most of them within the past two years, have provided a picture of the genetic regulation of apoptosis in mammalian cells. Although much detail remains to be filled in, the general structure--concordant with programmed death in invertebrates--includes signalling systems, genetic determination of susceptibility, critical proteins capable of reversing or re-affirming the death sentence, and a common effector pathway driven by specific proteases.