Figure 4
From: Cardiomyocyte death: mechanisms and translational implications
Apoptotic pathway in cardiac myocytes. In the extrinsic pathway, death receptor activation by a death ligand induces death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) formation and casp 8 activation, which in turn activates casp 3. This pathway can also activate the intrinsic pathway by the proteolysis of BID to t-BID by casp 8 and interaction of t-BID with BAX in the mitochondria. Pro-apoptotic BAX/BAK induces cyto c, Smac/DIABLO, AIF, and Endo G release from the mitochondria. Cyto c with Apaf1 and casp 9 form the apoptosome with activation of casp 9. Casp activity is regulated by the endogenous casp inhibitor XIAP. Cardiac myocytes are naturally resistant to apoptosis due to their low-level expression of Apaf1 and casps and high levels of XIAP
