 This DCC apoptosis pathway is not dependent on either the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway or the death receptor/caspase-8 pathway.In the absence of ligand, DCC interacts with caspase-9 (likely via an unidentified adaptor protein) and promotes the assembly of a caspase-activating complex.This causes the activation of caspase-3 through caspase-9, and initiates apoptosis without the formation of an apoptosome or cytochrome c release.