FIGURE 1: Yeast cell death. Yeast cells can die either upon exposure to very harsh microenvironmental conditions via accidental cell death (ACD) or in the context of a failing response to mild stress via regulated cell death (RCD). While ACD invariably manifests with a necrotic morphotype (disintegration of cell structure, plasma membrane rupture), RCD can exhibit a spectrum of morphologies and can result from multiple signaling pathways, including regulated necrosis or apoptosis. Programmed cell death (PCD), which occurs in strictly physiological scenarios (e.g., development), represents a specific type of RCD. The possible role of autophagy as a cell death pathway in yeast remains elusive, while its cytoprotective function is well established.