Apoptosis & Viruses: What You Need to Know

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The discussion centers on the mechanisms of apoptosis in virus-infected cells. The initial inquiry explores how a cell can undergo apoptosis despite its machinery being redirected to produce viral proteins and nucleic acids. The conversation acknowledges the role of T lymphocytes in inducing apoptosis but emphasizes that the process is primarily controlled by the cell itself, involving changes in gene expression and protein synthesis. It is noted that caspases, which are crucial for initiating both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways, are already present in the cell, often in inactive forms or sequestered in organelles. The participants express a desire to delve deeper into the apoptosis pathways to understand these mechanisms better.
nobahar
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Hello!
I have been reading about Viruses recently, although I was already familiar with the basic process from prior reading, and have come to wonder how a virus-infected cell can be induced to apoptose when the cellular machinery (in particular in translation) has been redirected to produce viral proteins and DNA/RNA.
Msny Thanks,
Aviv.
 
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Thanks for the response Ygggdrasil.
I think that perhaps I may have misled you as to what I was enquiring about; which is my fault, as the wording is misleading.
I have a basic undertsanding of the role of T Lymphocytes in inducing apotosis in a cell; but I have come to believe that the cell itself undertakes apotosis; and since apotosis is tightly controlled, it must involve an alteration in gene expression, altered RNA and protein expression, and so on. If the cellular machinery has been redirected to produce viral products, how can the cell undertake apotosis?
Many thanks.
 
nobahar said:
Thanks for the response Ygggdrasil.
I think that perhaps I may have misled you as to what I was enquiring about; which is my fault, as the wording is misleading.
I have a basic undertsanding of the role of T Lymphocytes in inducing apotosis in a cell; but I have come to believe that the cell itself undertakes apotosis; and since apotosis is tightly controlled, it must involve an alteration in gene expression, altered RNA and protein expression, and so on. If the cellular machinery has been redirected to produce viral products, how can the cell undertake apotosis?
Many thanks.

The caspases that initiate intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis are already present in the cell. Often sequestered in other organelles (like the mitochondria during the intrinsic pathway) or as proproteins in the cytoplasm.

http://www.biooncology.com/research/apoptosis/pathways/extrinsic/"
http://www.biooncology.com/research/apoptosis/pathways/intrinsic/index.html"
 
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Thanks Bobze. I'll have a more in-depth look at those pathways when I get a chance.
 
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