In: Biology
How is the apoptosome created and what role does it play in Apoptosis?
The release of mitochondrial prial for apoptosis is regulated by pro and anti apoptotic members of Bcl family of proteins. due due cell damage or any external signal leads to activation of Bax/Bak channels that antagonises the activity of Bcl and thus release of cytochrome c from mitochondria. Once released in cytoplasm cyt c binds to a protein 'Apaf-1' (apoptosis activating factor 1) which forms a wheel like hexamer structure called as APOPTOSOME.
THIS apoptosome binds to caspase 9( the critical initiator caspase of mitochondrial pathway) and further the enzyme cleaves the other caspase 9 molecule thus tiggering the auto amplification process.
This leads to continuous increase in permiability of mitochondria and release of pro apoptotic molecules leads to amplify death signal,i.e APOPTOSIS.