FADD: Essential for embryo development and signaling from some, but not all, inducers of apoptosis

Abstract

FADD (also known as Mort-1) is a signal transducer downstream of cell death receptor opes (also called Fas). CD95, tumor necrosis factor receptor type 1 (TNFR1), and death receptor 3 (DR3) did not induce apoptosis in FADD- deficient embryonic fibroblasts, whereas DR4, oncogenes E1A and c-myc, and chemoterapeutic agent adriamycin did. Mice with a deletion in the FADD gene did not survive beyond day 11.5 of embryogenesis; these mice showed signs of cardiac failure and abdominal hemorrhage. Chimeric embryos showing a high contribution of FADD null mutant cells to the heart reproductive the phenotype of FADD-deficient mutants. Thus, not only death receptors, but also receptors that couple to developmental programs, may use FADD for signaling.