Li and Beg show that cells infected with viruses that express inhibitors of caspases or cells treated with peptidyl caspase inhibitors exhibit a necrotic cell death in response to tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), double-stranded RNA, or interferon γ. Necrosis was dependent on the production of superoxides by the mitochondria and was inhibited by mitochondrial complex I and II inhibitors or antioxidants. Thus, a virus may evade triggering apoptosis, but a necrotic pathway may still lead to the infected cell's demise.
Li, M., and Beg, A.A., (2000) Induction of necrotic-like cell death by tumor necrosis factor alpha and caspase inhibitors: Novel mechanism for killing virus-infected cells. J. Virol. 74: 7470-7477. [Abstract] [Full Text]
