Biology 1002B Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Gene Duplication, Blastoderm, Ecdysone
24 Sep 2016
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Caspase 9 gene in humans is equivalent to ced-3. Caspase 9 encodes a protease that degrades cell structure. It is activated in cells that form the webbing between the fingers and toes in human embryo, causing it to break down. Kill mitochondria (poke holes in membrane, destroy pmf) Caspases they degrade proteins (they are proteases: executioner caspases are proteases that cleave essential proteins, leading to a controlled, but irreversible, biochemical cascade causing cell shrinkage, chromatin fragmentation and cell death. Divide so much that you burn up telomeres. Mechanism of plasmid toxin/antitoxin system as a possible origin for cell death genes. Plasmids have the ability to transfer themselves from one host to another. They are infectious parasites kind of like viruses with no coat (whatever that means ) Bacteria produce both toxin (ax murder) and antitoxin (inhibiter). Antitoxin is degraded more quickly by proteases but is replenished. Toxin is long lived, anti toxin is short lived.
