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Role of Nucleases in Apoptosis

1994; Karger Publishers; Volume: 105; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1159/000236778

1423-0097

Boris Zhivotovsky, David Wade, Pierluigi Nicotera, Sten Orrenius,

DNA and Nucleic Acid Chemistry

The last decade has seen the rapid development of research investigating the mechanisms of apoptosis in a variety of experimental systems. Among the multitude of changes observed in apoptotic cells, chromatin cleavage is considered a biochemical hallmark of apoptosis. Chromatin fragmentation is an enzymatic process which depends on the activity of endogenous nuclease(s) and the susceptibility of chromatin to endonuclease activity. The characteristics of some nucleases of potential importance in apoptosis and their possible role in the regulation of this process are discussed in this paper.