Control of Nonapoptotic Developmental Cell Death in Caenorhabditis elegans by a Polyglutamine-Repeat Protein

Abstract

Death for Development Cell death is critical for animal development and for the promotion of gastrulation, as well as for sculpting tissues. Although cell death by apoptosis is essential in some invertebrates, genes promoting apoptosis in the mouse are not required for viability. This surprising observation prompted investigations by Blum et al. (p. 970 ; see the Perspective by Link and Saldi ), who have discovered a nonapoptotic developmental cell death process mediated by a polyglutamine-repeat protein in the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans . This form of cell death is morphologically similar to cell death occurring during vertebrate development, particularly cell death accompanying polyglutamine-dependent neurodegeneration.