Death Receptors
Death Receptors - Related Videos
10:06
An Introduction to Cell Death
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2023
Necrosis, apoptosis, and autophagic cell death are all manners in which cells can die, and these mechanisms can be induced by different stimuli, such as cell injury, low nutrient levels, or signaling proteins. Whereas necrosis is considered to be an “accidental” or unexpected form of cell death, evidence exists that apoptosis and autophagy are both programmed and “planned” by cells.In this introductory video, JoVE highlights key discoveries pertaining to cell death, including recent work done...
04:25
Neuronal Death Assay to Evaluate Cell Death in Ex Vivo Epilepsy Model
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2025
This video demonstrates the technique of assessing neuronal death in rhinal cortex-hippocampus organotypic slices. Neuronal death occurs via evolving epileptic seizures — resembling in vivo epilepsy — and is detected through dual-staining of the dead cells using propidium iodide and immunofluorescence.
01:34
Humane Euthanasia and Confirmation of Death in Rodents
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2026
All animal procedures described here must be conducted in accordance with institutional animal ethics guidelines and approved by IACUC. All procedures must follow the principles of the 3Rs—Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement—and must be performed by trained personnel. Humane endpoints in rodents are predefined clinical, behavioral, or physiological indicators that signal an animal is experiencing significant pain, distress, or declining health. When these signs are observed, timely...
03:50
An Ex Vivo Technique to Induce Neuronal Death via Oligodendrocyte-Specific CD8+ T Cells
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2025
This video demonstrates an ex vivo technique to induce brain cell death mediated through cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. Upon obtaining brain slices, activated oligodendrocyte-directed CD8+ T cells are transferred onto the slices to target the myelin sheath and oligodendrocytes. Post-incubation, the damage to myelin and neuronal death can be assessed histologically in the regions of interest.
03:23
Cell Death Screening Using DAPI Staining: A Method for Rapid Screening of IR Induced Clonogenic Cell Death in Cancerous Cell Lines
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2023
This video demonstrates the methodology to screen for major cell death profiles in ionizing radiation (IR) induced cancer cell lines using DAPI staining assay. The DAPI-stained nuclei of target cells undergoing cell death exhibit distinct morphologies and can be easily identified by fluorescence microscopy.
FAQs
When an extracellular ligand such as Fas ligand or tumor necrosis factor binds a death receptor, the receptor recruits adaptor proteins through its cytoplasmic death domain. These adaptors assemble a signaling complex that brings initiator caspases together, especially caspase-8, enabling its activation and transmission of an apoptotic signal into the cell. This linkage connects an external cue with regulated cell elimination.
Death domains provide the intracellular connection between receptor engagement and downstream signaling. Once a ligand binds, adaptor proteins can associate with this cytoplasmic signaling region and help build the complex needed for initiator-caspase activation. Their presence allows certain receptors to couple an extracellular signal directly to an apoptotic pathway through an organized intracellular signaling interface.
Death receptor pathways can influence more than cell elimination because they also interact with inflammatory signaling and survival mechanisms. Consequently, ligand-receptor engagement should be interpreted as part of a broader cellular response rather than as an isolated apoptotic switch. This perspective is important when explaining immune behavior or disease states in which inflammation, persistence, and cell loss occur together.
Analysis of these pathways can connect extracellular signals with tissue-level outcomes, including maintenance of tissue homeostasis and regulation of immune-cell populations. It also provides a framework for examining developmental processes and autoimmune disease. These applications make receptor signaling relevant across normal biology, where controlled cell loss must be coordinated with broader organismal needs.
In immune biology, their signaling helps explain how immune-cell regulation is linked to programmed cell death. The same framework helps investigate developmental processes and tissue homeostasis, where cells must be appropriately retained or removed over time. These contexts show why receptor pathways matter beyond individual cells and provide biological context for studying regulated cell loss.
Altered signaling can promote unwanted cell loss or resistance to therapy. This links death receptor pathways to autoimmune disease and cancer, where abnormal control may contribute to excessive cell loss or reduced responsiveness to treatment. Studying these changes helps explain why some tissues lose cells inappropriately, while some cancer cells persist despite therapeutic pressure.