ABSTRACT

Expression of CED-4 from C. elegans in 5. pombe also leads to an apoptotic phe­ notype, whereas coexpression of CED-9, a bel-2 homolog, prevents chromatin con­ densation (James et al.y 1997). The possibility of rescuing yeast with antiapoptotic factors acting downstream in the mammalian apoptotic cascade indicates that Bax, Bak, CED-4, or caspases do not simply act as cytotoxic substances in yeast, but seem to activate the same or a similar mechanism as in metazoan organisms.