Apoptosis as an evolutionary battleground: pathogen pressure and the shaping of programmed cell death pathways (opens in new tab)

Apoptosis is a tightly regulated form of programmed cell death that enables the controlled elimination of damaged or infected cells without eliciting deleterious inflammatory responses. Beyond its fundamental roles in embryogenesis, tissue homeostasis, and cellular turnover, the molecular architecture of apoptosis reflects deep evolutionary origins shaped by mitochondrial quality control, the emergence of intercellular communication, and immune surveillance mechanisms. Apoptotic signaling is ...