Thyroid hormone induced apoptosis during amphibian metamorphosis

摘要

Anuran metamorphosis involves systematic transformations of individual organs in a thyroid hormone (TH)-dependent manner. Morphological and cellular studies have shown that the removal of larval organs/tissues such the tail and the tadpole intestinal epithelium is through programmed cell death or apop-tosis. Recent molecular investigations suggest that TH regulates metamorphosis by regulating target gene expression through thyroid hormone receptors (TRs), which are DNA-binding transcription factors.