The Fas/FasL System in Reproduction: Survival and Apoptosis

Abstract

For centuries, the question of “whether there is life after death” has intrigued the mind of philosophers, and the same question fascinates researchers in the field of apoptosis today. The death of a cell is by no means the end of the story. On the contrary, growing evidence suggests that the clearance of apoptotic bodies by macrophages is an important regulatory component in tissue renewal. Without death by apoptosis, the life of reproductive tissues and their function would not be possible. The survival signals that counteract cell death also prepare the cells for apoptosis, and dead cells are important stimuli for tissue survival. The Fas/FasL system is an important mediator in apoptosis and is and excellent example of this apparently contradictory phenomenon.