Identifying stress-related programmed cell death improves research on plant resistance

Abstract

Programmed cell death (PCD) is essential to the survival and evolution of plants. Recently, the advance in the technology of plant genetics, physiology, molecular and cytological biology supports the study on the phenomena and mechnisms of plant PCD. In respect of phenomena, the significant progress includes the classification of two distinguish types of plant PCD: vacuolar PCD and necrotic PCD. The outstanding progress in mechnisms includes the discovery of the structure of a proteinase family: metacaspases, along with their role in survival/death decision or cell-death type controlling.