Beginnings of a signal-transduction pathway for bioenergetic control of cell survival

Two integral components of cellular transformation are increased cellular metabolism and apoptotic resistance. Recent progress in understanding the cellular functions of core apoptotic components and of growth factor-induced apoptotic regulatory proteins has indicated that the control of cellular metabolism and apoptosis are intertwined. There is growing evidence for connections between the regulation of both cellular bioenergetics and apoptosis and, thus, it is intriguing to explore the idea that growth factor regulation of cellular metabolism can directly affect cell survival.