PRB AND THE CDKS IN APOPTOSIS AND THE CELL-CYCLE

Apoptosis is a fundamental biological process present in metazoan cell s. Linking apoptosis to the cell cycle machinery provides a mechanism to maintain proper control of cell proliferation in a multicellular or ganism. pRb and the cyclin-dependent kinases may have dual roles as in tegral components of the cell cycle and regulators of apoptosis. In ma ny instances manipulation of the cell cycle through these molecules ca n induce or inhibit apoptosis, Recent studies also identify pRb as a s ubstrate for an apoptotic protease; however, other cell cycle componen ts are not known substrates. While it is clear that many common molecu les can affect cell proliferation and cell death, the universality of any one cell cycle molecule in apoptosis has yet to be determined.