Practice question

Necroptosis is a regulated form of necrotic cell death that occurs when caspase-8 is inhibited or absent. Under these conditions the kinase RIPK1 activates RIPK3, which in turn phosphorylates MLKL. Oligomerized MLKL disrupts plasma-membrane integrity, producing a necrotic morphology. Necroptosis therefore serves as a backup death pathway when apoptosis is blocked, particularly during certain viral infections.