Fas and other cell death signaling pathways

Semin Immunol. 1997 Apr;9(2):93-107. doi: 10.1006/smim.1997.0062.

Abstract

The Fas system ensures, within the immune system, one of the two main pathways of T-cell mediated cytotoxicity, and, importantly, at least part of the downregulation of immune responses. Recently, Fas has been increasingly implicated in other functions, such as protection of immune privileged tissues and disposal of cells undergoing genomic alterations. The Fas system can be viewed as a cell death signal, linking extracellular information to the cell death execution stage. In this review, the Fas pathway will be described, compared to the other known T-cell mediated cytotoxicity mechanism, and then more generally to other cell death signals. The general features of cell death signaling will be emphasized as well as the peculiarities of the Fas system.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing*
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Apoptosis*
  • Carrier Proteins / physiology
  • Caspase 1
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases / physiology
  • Cytotoxicity, Immunologic*
  • Endopeptidases / physiology
  • Fas Ligand Protein
  • Fas-Associated Death Domain Protein
  • Granzymes
  • Humans
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / physiology
  • Perforin
  • Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / physiology
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / physiology
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / physiology
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / physiology
  • Serine Endopeptidases / physiology
  • Signal Transduction
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / physiology*
  • TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / physiology
  • fas Receptor / physiology*

Substances

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • FADD protein, human
  • FASLG protein, human
  • Fas Ligand Protein
  • Fas-Associated Death Domain Protein
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor
  • TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand
  • TNFSF10 protein, human
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • fas Receptor
  • Perforin
  • Endopeptidases
  • GZMB protein, human
  • Granzymes
  • Serine Endopeptidases
  • Cysteine Endopeptidases
  • Caspase 1