A cellular response to an internal energy crisis

Abstract

Lack of an appropriate energy supply has been thought to induce cell death in a nonspecific manner by causing a decline in metabolism and a gradual cessation of cellular function. In this issue of Cell, Nutt et al. (2005) describe a new mechanism that directly links nutrient availability to apoptosis in Xenopus oocytes and show that age-dependent changes in the nutritional state of a cell might lead to caspase activation and apoptotic cell death.