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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Acta Physiol (Oxf). 2011 Jan 19;203(1):225–234. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.2010.02229.x

Figure 4.

Figure 4

NAD+ vs. PAR Polymers in Caspase-Independent Cell Death. This cartoon depicts the dichotomy in the caspase-independent cell death cascade (exaggerated for clarity as significant overlap likely occurs in vivo). There is cross talk between PARP-1 and NAD+ depletion, but NAD+ depletion caused glycolytic inhibition, mitochondrial depolarization, AIF translocation, and cell death without PARP-1 activation. Although PARP-1 activation causes PAR polymer formation, AIF translocation and cell death does not necessarily follow. The reviewed literature suggests that NAD+ depletion is necessary and plays the role of executioner in the caspase-independent cell death pathway.