Ase-8, have been shown to be essential components of the CD95 signalling machinery [8,11,12,13]. In contrast, the intrinsic apoptosis pathway is triggered from within the cell, either by the direct activation of Fasudil (Hydrochloride) caspases or through intracellular changes, such as DNA damage, which result in the release of pro-apoptotic factors and the activation of effector caspases. In the death receptor pathway of apoptosis induction, the best characterised connection between the two pathways is Bid,The Mitosome: Cardiolipin-Caspase-8-Bida member of the Bcl-2 family that is translocated to the mitochondria after cleavage by 1531364 caspase-8. The dimerisation of two caspase-8 monomers (p55/p55) results in a conformational change that exposes the active site of the caspase through a mechanism known as `induced proximity’ [14,15]. Dimerisation was shown to be sufficient for the activation of caspase-8, but it has been suggested that full activity may require self-cleavage [14,16,17,18]. Caspase-8 initially cleaves itself between the p18 and p10 domains, forming a heterodimer within a heterotetrameric complex (p43 10/p43 10) (Fig. 1a). This first cleavage is necessary for the recognition of other substrates, including effector caspases (such as caspase-3) and the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bid [16,17]. Extrinsic apoptosis EW-7197 web follows one of two pathways, type I or type II, depending on the level of caspase-8 activation upon DISC formation [7]. In the type I pathway, large amounts of DISC and active caspase-8 are formed, leading to the direct cleavage of effector caspases in the cytosol [19]. In the type II pathway, DISC assembly is slower, and smaller amounts of active caspase-8 are generated [7]. XIAP (X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis) was shown also to inhibit this pathway [20]. Thus, cells containing large amounts of XIAP require a tBid mitochondrionmediated amplification of the caspase cascade to overcome the caspase inhibition by XIAP. In this context, caspase-8 must be engaged in the intrinsic pathway to amplify the death signal and execute apoptosis. Transition from the extrinsic pathway to the intrinsic pathway is achieved through the processing of Bid by caspase-8 [21,22], leading to the generation of tBid, which then interacts with cardiolipin via its hairpin-forming domain [23]. This interaction disturbs mitochondrial bioenergetics, leading to Bax/ Bak delocalisation [24] and permeabilisation of the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOMP). We recently showed that the mitochondrial 1662274 surface becomes enriched in caspase-8 during type II extrinsic apoptosis induced by Fas. Proof of this concept was obtained with lymphoblastoid cells (type II cells) derived from Barth syndrome patients and tafazzin knock-down HeLa cells, which contain no mature cardiolipin (CL) but large amounts of monolysocardiolipin [25]. We also showed that a blockade of the association of caspase-8 with mitochondria due to cardiolipin deficiency resulted in the inhibition of p43 10 formation, preventing both Bid cleavage and apoptosis [25]. It has also recently been shown that caspase-8 and Bid form a supramolecular complex on the surface of the mitochondrial outer membrane [26], in so-called “mitosomes”. There is thus a mechanism by which low levels of proteolytically active caspase-8 can specifically target sufficient amounts of Bid at the surface of mitochondria, to produce tBid [26]. It was also shown that tBid binds CL [23,24,27,28]. Thus, contact sites between the inner and outer m.Ase-8, have been shown to be essential components of the CD95 signalling machinery [8,11,12,13]. In contrast, the intrinsic apoptosis pathway is triggered from within the cell, either by the direct activation of caspases or through intracellular changes, such as DNA damage, which result in the release of pro-apoptotic factors and the activation of effector caspases. In the death receptor pathway of apoptosis induction, the best characterised connection between the two pathways is Bid,The Mitosome: Cardiolipin-Caspase-8-Bida member of the Bcl-2 family that is translocated to the mitochondria after cleavage by 1531364 caspase-8. The dimerisation of two caspase-8 monomers (p55/p55) results in a conformational change that exposes the active site of the caspase through a mechanism known as `induced proximity’ [14,15]. Dimerisation was shown to be sufficient for the activation of caspase-8, but it has been suggested that full activity may require self-cleavage [14,16,17,18]. Caspase-8 initially cleaves itself between the p18 and p10 domains, forming a heterodimer within a heterotetrameric complex (p43 10/p43 10) (Fig. 1a). This first cleavage is necessary for the recognition of other substrates, including effector caspases (such as caspase-3) and the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bid [16,17]. Extrinsic apoptosis follows one of two pathways, type I or type II, depending on the level of caspase-8 activation upon DISC formation [7]. In the type I pathway, large amounts of DISC and active caspase-8 are formed, leading to the direct cleavage of effector caspases in the cytosol [19]. In the type II pathway, DISC assembly is slower, and smaller amounts of active caspase-8 are generated [7]. XIAP (X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis) was shown also to inhibit this pathway [20]. Thus, cells containing large amounts of XIAP require a tBid mitochondrionmediated amplification of the caspase cascade to overcome the caspase inhibition by XIAP. In this context, caspase-8 must be engaged in the intrinsic pathway to amplify the death signal and execute apoptosis. Transition from the extrinsic pathway to the intrinsic pathway is achieved through the processing of Bid by caspase-8 [21,22], leading to the generation of tBid, which then interacts with cardiolipin via its hairpin-forming domain [23]. This interaction disturbs mitochondrial bioenergetics, leading to Bax/ Bak delocalisation [24] and permeabilisation of the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOMP). We recently showed that the mitochondrial 1662274 surface becomes enriched in caspase-8 during type II extrinsic apoptosis induced by Fas. Proof of this concept was obtained with lymphoblastoid cells (type II cells) derived from Barth syndrome patients and tafazzin knock-down HeLa cells, which contain no mature cardiolipin (CL) but large amounts of monolysocardiolipin [25]. We also showed that a blockade of the association of caspase-8 with mitochondria due to cardiolipin deficiency resulted in the inhibition of p43 10 formation, preventing both Bid cleavage and apoptosis [25]. It has also recently been shown that caspase-8 and Bid form a supramolecular complex on the surface of the mitochondrial outer membrane [26], in so-called “mitosomes”. There is thus a mechanism by which low levels of proteolytically active caspase-8 can specifically target sufficient amounts of Bid at the surface of mitochondria, to produce tBid [26]. It was also shown that tBid binds CL [23,24,27,28]. Thus, contact sites between the inner and outer m.
