Cysteine-Mediated Excitotoxic Neuronal Death is an Apoptosis—Necrosis Continuum

Abstract

Qusti, S.Y., Parsons, R.B., Waring, R.H. anRamsden, D.B. 2007. Cysteine-mediated excitotoxic neuronal death is an apoptosis—necrosis continuum. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 32: 7–12.

To explore the mechanism whereby cysteine induces cell death this study was undertaken using a human medulloblastoma cell-line as the model system. Low levels of cysteine induced several well described phenomena associated with apoptosis, phospatidyl serine exposure, mitochondrial membrane disruption, cleavage of DNA into 50 Kb fragments and induction of caspase 3, whereas higher concentrations tended to cause necrosis. We have speculated on the role of cysteine in excitotoxicity, which occurs clinically following cerebral ischemia.

Keywords:

• Cysteine
• cytotoxicity
• apoptosis
• necrosis
• neurone
• phosphatidylserine
• mitochondria
• caspase-3