Programmed cell death in parasitic protozoans that lack mitochondria

In multicellular organisms and in all protozoans harbouring mitochondria, the pathways leading to programmed cell death (PCD) are localized in the mitochondria. Intriguingly, unicellular parasites devoid of mitochondria such as Trichomonas vaginalis and Giardia intestinalis undergo a form of cell de...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Trends in parasitology 2003-12, Vol.19 (12), p.559-564
Main Authors: Chose, Olivier, Sarde, Claude-Olivier, Gerbod, Delphine, Viscogliosi, Eric, Roseto, Alberto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Apoptosis - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Biological Evolution
Eukaryota - physiology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Giardia intestinalis
Life cycle. Host-agent relationship. Pathogenesis
Life Sciences
Mitochondria - physiology
Necrosis
Protozoa
Symbiosis - physiology
Trichomonas vaginalis
Trichomonas vaginalis - physiology
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Summary:In multicellular organisms and in all protozoans harbouring mitochondria, the pathways leading to programmed cell death (PCD) are localized in the mitochondria. Intriguingly, unicellular parasites devoid of mitochondria such as Trichomonas vaginalis and Giardia intestinalis undergo a form of cell death resembling apoptosis, the most frequent form of PCD. This reinforces the idea that PCD must have evolved before the evolution of multicellularity. Moreover, this leads to the hypothesis of an early emergence of death pathways in eukaryotes preceding mitochondrial endosymbiosis and brings into question the central role of mitochondria in PCD.
ISSN:1471-4922
1471-5007
DOI:10.1016/j.pt.2003.09.016