EGL-1 Background Information
Several proteins involved in regulating and executing programmed cell death have been identified in C. elegans. CED-3, a member of the ICE protease/caspase family, and CED-4, a homolog of the mammalian Apaf-1, promote apoptosis (1,2). CED-9, a homolog of the mammalian Bcl-2 protein, inhibits cell death (3). EGL-1 and CED-6 both function as death-promoting proteins, with CED-6 playing a role in the engulfment of apoptotic cells (4,5). CED-5 and CED-7 are C. elegans orthologs of the mammalian DOCK180 and ABC transporter proteins, respectively, and also play a role in the engulfment of dying cells (6,7).
