Syllabus
1. Definition of programmed or regulated cell death, its historical and evolution-related aspects and importance for life of an organism. Overview of principles and signalling in various forms of regulated cell death.
2. Caspase-dependent apoptosis: Initiator and effector caspases, their activation, regulation and function.
3. Mitochondria and other organelles in apoptosis; proteins from Bcl-2 family.
4. Intracellular or intrinsic induction of apoptosis, stress response, p53 tumour suppressor.
5. Extracellular or extrinsic induction of apoptosis (death receptors, immune system etc.).
6. Regulated necrosis and other mechanisms of regulated cell death.
7. Final steps in cell destruction, removal of the corpses.
8. Summary of activation and regulation of cell death in mammalian cells.
9. Regulated cell death in other vertebrates and in invertebrates.
10. Regulated cell death in single cell organisms and in plants.
11. Physiology and pathophysiology of regulated cell death; methods of cell death detection and quantification.
Annotation
The lecture course is mainly focused on the presentation of various mechanisms of activation and modulation of regulated cell death (apoptosis, regulated necrosis, etc.) predominantly in mammalian (mouse and human) cells/organisms and on cell death-related processes. In addition to mammalian cells the mechanisms of regulated cell death will be addressed also in cells of other vertebrates, invertebrates, single cell organisms and plants.
Lastly, role or importance of regulated cell death in a number of physiological and pathophysiological processes occurring in organisms is shown and methods of detection and quantification of cell death are presented.