Molecular signaling in death receptor and mitochondrial pathways of apoptosis (Review)

In recent years major progress has been made in understanding the molecular steps of death receptor and mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. Mechanisms of NF-kappaB-mediated survival (anti-apoptotic) signal have been delineated. A novel anti-apoptotic mechanism of FLIP in the recruitment of RIP and TRAF-1 and TRAF-2 to activate ERK and NF-kappaB has been defined. These are some of the recent discoveries in death receptor and mitochondrial pathways of apoptosis that have been reviewed in this article.