Caenorhabditis elegans gene ced-9 protects cells from programmed cell death
Abstract
The gene ced-9 of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegansacts to protect cells from programmed cell death. A mutation that abnormally activatesced-9 prevents the cell deaths that occur during normal C. elegans development. Conversely, mutations that inactivate ced-9 cause cells that normally live to undergo programmed cell death; these mutations result in embryonic lethality, indicating that ced-9 function is essential for development. The ced-9 gene functions by negatively regulating the activities of other genes that are required for the process of programmed cell death.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- April 1992
- DOI:
- 10.1038/356494a0
- Bibcode:
- 1992Natur.356..494H