The Student Room Group

Apoptosis

In regards to the attachment
What does the second row (the one with Egl, Ced 9, Ced 4, Ced 3) have to do with the 3rd row (the one with BH3 only proteins, Bcl-2, Apaf-1, Casp9, Casp3)?

Also, "Ced 3 kill (caspases)" - what is that supposed to mean?

Will be very grateful if anyone clears this up for me.

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Reply 1
anyone please
Reply 2
..
The top row is the function, the second row is the genes in C. elegans, the third is the mammalian homolog. I think the Ced 3 thing is meant to mean Ced 3 gets activated and kills the cell through caspase activity.
Reply 4
Original post by MistakesWereMade
The top row is the function, the second row is the genes in C. elegans, the third is the mammalian homolog. I think the Ced 3 thing is meant to mean Ced 3 gets activated and kills the cell through caspase activity.

Thanks so much :smile: What does a mammalian homolog mean? What is a homolog? I've searched it up but it doesnt really make sense in this context. So is casp9 and casp3 a similar gene to ced3. Is ced4 a similar gene to apaf1? I dont really get the connection between the second and third row. Also, the third row has genes (Apaf1) and also proteins (BH3 only proteins) so dont really understand what is happening in the third row.
Furthermore, you kindly mentioned that the Ced3 gets activated and kills the cell through caspase activity.. Ced3 and caspase are two different things. The gene for the ced3 is activated so we get ced3 proteins produced through transcription and translation but then how does that lead to caspases killing the cell?...-The caspases are produced from caspase genes so how is it related to the gene for ced3?

Would be really grateful if you could let me know your thoughts
:smile: Thanks again
Original post by shankar jan
Thanks so much :smile: What does a mammalian homolog mean? What is a homolog?

Homologs are comparable genes in different organisms, with the same ancestor and function. Though some of those might be orthologs, which are a similar concept but don't have the same ancestor.
So EGL and BH3 only proteins, Ced 9 and Bcl2, have (essentially) the same function in this programmed cell death pathway. They're all proteins, they're just using the gene name to refer to the protein product.
Ced 3 is a caspase, but you need post-translational modification for it to become active, I think in Ced 3's case it needs to form a dimer.
Reply 6
Original post by MistakesWereMade
Homologs are comparable genes in different organisms, with the same ancestor and function. Though some of those might be orthologs, which are a similar concept but don't have the same ancestor.
So EGL and BH3 only proteins, Ced 9 and Bcl2, have (essentially) the same function in this programmed cell death pathway. They're all proteins, they're just using the gene name to refer to the protein product.
Ced 3 is a caspase, but you need post-translational modification for it to become active, I think in Ced 3's case it needs to form a dimer.

Thank you so much :smile: I greatly appreciate your time:smile: Just one thing: So Egl protein, Ced 9 protein,Ced 4 protein and Ced3 protein are present in the Caenorhabditis. The human version of those proteins are BH3 only proteins, BCL2 protein, Apaf1 protein, casp 9 protein and casp3 protein.

So e.g. BH3 only proteins are not present in Caenorhabditis but it is present in humans.
Egl protein is not present in humans but it is present in Caenorhabditis .
However, BH3 only proteins and Egl protein have the same function.

BCL2 protein family consists of antiapoptotic and apoptotic members. For example BH3 only proteins and BCL2 protein go under the class of BCL2 protein family. BCL2 protein is antiapoptotic. BH3 only proteins are apoptotic.

Have I got it correct?:biggrin:
Original post by shankar jan
Thank you so much :smile: I greatly appreciate your time:smile: Just one thing: So Egl protein, Ced 9 protein,Ced 4 protein and Ced3 protein are present in the Caenorhabditis. The human version of those proteins are BH3 only proteins, BCL2 protein, Apaf1 protein, casp 9 protein and casp3 protein.

So e.g. BH3 only proteins are not present in Caenorhabditis but it is present in humans.
Egl protein is not present in humans but it is present in Caenorhabditis .
However, BH3 only proteins and Egl protein have the same function.

BCL2 protein family consists of antiapoptotic and apoptotic members. For example BH3 only proteins and BCL2 protein go under the class of BCL2 protein family. BCL2 protein is antiapoptotic. BH3 only proteins are apoptotic.

Have I got it correct?:biggrin:

Yep that's right.
Reply 8
Original post by MistakesWereMade
Yep that's right.

Ah thanks so much!!!!!:biggrin:

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