Does BNIP3 induce different types of cell death?
There are three main types of cell death: necrosis, autophagy and apoptosis. Necrosis is characterized by mitochondrial swelling, permeability transition (PT) pore opening, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.25 This leads to cellular rupture and release of intracellular contents into the extracellular space. Autophagy is an intracellular degradation system normally used for protein recycling and organelle turnover characterized by the formation of autophagosomes.25 Traditionally considered only as a survival mechanism for providing nutrients to cells under stress, prolonged autophagy is now considered to be an alternative form of cell death. Apoptosis is a tightly regulated process that is involved in tissue homeostasis, development and the removal of infected or damaged cells.26 This process is characterized by chromatin condensation, membrane blebbing, exposure of phosphatidyl serine on the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane
