Home LiteratureArticle Details
PMID: 1327565 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Review

A biochemical hallmark of apoptosis: internucleosomal degradation of the genome.

Cancer metastasis reviews ·Vol. 11 ·No. 2 ·1992-09-00 ·Pages 105-19

Compton MM

Abstract

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is an endogenous cellular process whereby an external signal activates a metabolic pathway that results in cell death. This form of cell death appears to be a common feature in many biological processes where cell deletion is a mechanism for altering tissue structure and function. Historically, apoptosis has been studied using histological techniques; however, more recent interest has focused on analyzing this process at the biochemical level. A biochemical hallmark of apoptosis is a characteristic form of DNA degradation in which the genome is cleaved at internucleosomal sites, generating a 'ladder' of DNA fragments when analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. A number of assay systems have been developed to study this nuclease activity. For example, nuclease activity has been analyzed by measuring the release of endogenous DNA from apoptotic cells, by flow cytometric analysis of apoptotic cells and by analyzing in situ apoptotic nuclease activity in polyacrylamide gels containing DNA. Use of these assay systems has enabled investigators to study the signal transduction pathways that mediate apoptosis and to characterize the endonuclease itself. Future biochemical studies in this field will focus on isolating the genes and gene products that mediate apoptosis.

MeSH Terms
Animals Apoptosis DNA/metabolism Endonucleases/analysis,isolation & purification Genome Humans Nucleosomes/metabolism Signal Transduction
Chemicals
Nucleosomes DNA Endonucleases
Authors & Affiliations
1 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Compton M M
Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens 30602.
References (58)
58 references, click to expand
  1. Analysis of glucocorticoid actions on rat thymocyte deoxyribonucleic acid by fluorescence-activated flow cytometry.
    Endocrinology. 1988 May;122(5):2158-64 PMID: 3359978
  2. The lens: a model for chromatin degradation studies in terminally differentiating cells.
    Int J Biochem. 1989;21(3):235-42 PMID: 2663560
  3. Cell death: the significance of apoptosis.
    Int Rev Cytol. 1980;68:251-306 PMID: 7014501
  4. Internucleosomal deoxyribonucleic acid cleavage activity in apoptotic thymocytes: detection and endocrine regulation.
    Endocrinology. 1991 Feb;128(2):1190-7 PMID: 1989852
  5. Glucocorticoid activation of a calcium-dependent endonuclease in thymocyte nuclei leads to cell death.
    J Immunol. 1984 Jan;132(1):38-42 PMID: 6317746
  6. Rapid turnover of endogenous endonuclease activity in thymocytes: effects of inhibitors of macromolecular synthesis.
    Arch Biochem Biophys. 1990 Apr;278(1):284-7 PMID: 2157360
  7. Inhibition of DNA fragmentation in thymocytes and isolated thymocyte nuclei by agents that stimulate protein kinase C.
    J Biol Chem. 1989 Aug 15;264(23):13399-402 PMID: 2503500
  8. An improved method for the detection of DNA fragmentation.
    J Immunol Methods. 1991 Jan 24;136(1):125-31 PMID: 1704901
  9. Biochemical evidence for programmed cell death in rabbit uterine epithelium.
    Am J Pathol. 1989 Mar;134(3):491-5 PMID: 2923180
  10. Modulation of thymocyte apoptosis by isoproterenol and prostaglandin E2.
    Cell Immunol. 1991 Apr 15;134(1):235-40 PMID: 1849462
  11. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes and glucocorticoids activate an endogenous suicide process in target cells.
    Nature. 1987 May 7-13;327(6117):62-4 PMID: 3494953
  12. STUDIES ON NECROSIS OF MOUSE LIVER IN VITRO. ULTRASTRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS IN THE MITOCHONDRIA OF HEPATIC PARENCHYMAL CELLS.
    Lab Invest. 1965 Apr;14:343-71 PMID: 14279874
  13. Glucocorticoid-induced thymocyte apoptosis is associated with endogenous endonuclease activation.
    Nature. 1980 Apr 10;284(5756):555-6 PMID: 6245367
  14. Changes in nuclear protein pattern by glucocorticoid treatment of lymphoid cells.
    J Steroid Biochem. 1989 Nov;33(5):955-63 PMID: 2601341
  15. Apoptosis: a basic biological phenomenon with wide-ranging implications in tissue kinetics.
    Br J Cancer. 1972 Aug;26(4):239-57 PMID: 4561027
  16. Glucocorticoid-induced lymphocytolysis is not mediated by an induced endonuclease.
    J Biol Chem. 1989 Mar 5;264(7):4104-11 PMID: 2917990
  17. Nuclease detection in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
    Anal Biochem. 1977 May 15;80(1):76-90 PMID: 18945
  18. A study of the conditions and mechanism of the diphenylamine reaction for the colorimetric estimation of deoxyribonucleic acid.
    Biochem J. 1956 Feb;62(2):315-23 PMID: 13293190
  19. [Isolation and analysis of Ca/Mg-dependent endonuclease from cell nuclei of human splenocytes].
    Biokhimiia. 1988 Jul;53(7):1163-73 PMID: 3179364
  20. Regulation of apoptosis in interleukin-3-dependent hemopoietic cells by interleukin-3 and calcium ionophores.
    EMBO J. 1990 Sep;9(9):2997-3002 PMID: 2118109
  21. Identification, purification, and characterization of a calcium-dependent endonuclease (NUC18) from apoptotic rat thymocytes. NUC18 is not histone H2B.
    J Biol Chem. 1991 Oct 5;266(28):18580-5 PMID: 1917979
  22. Erythropoietin retards DNA breakdown and prevents programmed death in erythroid progenitor cells.
    Science. 1990 Apr 20;248(4953):378-81 PMID: 2326648
  23. The calcium dependent endonuclease activity of isolated nuclear preparations. Relationships between its occurrence and the occurrence of other classes of enzymes found in nuclear preparations.
    Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1973 May 15;52(2):475-81 PMID: 4575957
  24. Agents that elevate cAMP stimulate DNA fragmentation in thymocytes.
    J Immunol. 1990 Aug 15;145(4):1227-30 PMID: 2166110
  25. Apoptosis or programmed cell death.
    Med Res Rev. 1991 Mar;11(2):219-36 PMID: 1850492
  26. Thymocyte apoptosis: a model of programmed cell death.
    Trends Endocrinol Metab. 1992 Jan-Feb;3(1):17-23 PMID: 18407073
  27. Triggering of T-lymphocytes via either T3-Ti or T11 surface structures opens a voltage-insensitive plasma membrane calcium-permeable channel: requirement for interleukin-2 gene function.
    J Biol Chem. 1989 Jan 15;264(2):1068-76 PMID: 2562953
  28. Activation of thymocyte deoxyribonucleic acid degradation by endogenous glucocorticoids.
    Poult Sci. 1991 Mar;70(3):521-9 PMID: 1646445
  29. Developmental expression of Ca++/Mg++-dependent endonuclease activity in rat granulosa and luteal cells.
    Endocrinology. 1989 Oct;125(4):2218-20 PMID: 2791987
  30. Molecular changes associated with induction of cell death in a human T-cell leukaemia line: putative nucleases identified as histones.
    Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1989 Jul 14;162(1):30-7 PMID: 2546549
  31. Rapid in vivo effects of glucocorticoids on the integrity of rat lymphocyte genomic deoxyribonucleic acid.
    Endocrinology. 1986 Jan;118(1):38-45 PMID: 3940853
  32. [Isolation of Ca2+, Mg2+-dependent nuclease from calf thymus chromatin].
    Biokhimiia. 1989 Oct;54(10):1709-18 PMID: 2605272
  33. Death in embryonic systems.
    Science. 1966 Nov 4;154(3749):604-12 PMID: 5332319
  34. Endogenous nuclease. Properties and effects on transcribed genes in chromatin.
    J Biol Chem. 1982 Nov 10;257(21):13009-17 PMID: 7130192
  35. Purification and characterization of the Ca2+ plus Mg2+-dependent endodeoxyribonuclease from calf thymus chromatin.
    J Biochem. 1981 Jan;89(1):143-52 PMID: 6260759
  36. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin kills immature thymocytes by Ca2+-mediated endonuclease activation.
    Science. 1988 Oct 14;242(4876):256-9 PMID: 3262923
  37. Activation of internucleosomal DNA cleavage in human CEM lymphocytes by glucocorticoid and novobiocin. Evidence for a non-Ca2(+)-requiring mechanism(s).
    J Biol Chem. 1990 Oct 5;265(28):17323-33 PMID: 2170373
  38. Cell death by apoptosis during involution of the lactating breast in mice and rats.
    Am J Anat. 1989 May;185(1):19-32 PMID: 2782275
  39. Apoptosis. The role of the endonuclease.
    Am J Pathol. 1990 Mar;136(3):593-608 PMID: 2156431
  40. Cell proliferation, cell death and aging.
    Aging (Milano). 1989 Sep;1(1):3-15 PMID: 2488297
  41. Programmed cell death. Cytochemical evidence for lysosomes during the normal breakdown of the intersegmental muscles.
    J Ultrastruct Res. 1974 Jan;46(1):43-62 PMID: 4813269
  42. A rapid and simple method for measuring thymocyte apoptosis by propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry.
    J Immunol Methods. 1991 Jun 3;139(2):271-9 PMID: 1710634
  43. Isolation and purification of calcium and magnesium dependent endonuclease from rat liver nuclei.
    Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1974 Feb 4;56(3):703-10 PMID: 4597066
  44. Adrenocortical cell deletion: the role of ACTH.
    J Pathol. 1973 Oct;111(2):85-94 PMID: 4357291
  45. Detection of apoptosis of immature CD4+8+ thymocytes by flow cytometry.
    J Immunol Methods. 1991 Mar 1;137(1):79-87 PMID: 1901329
  46. Glucocorticoid-mediated activation of DNA degradation in avian lymphocytes.
    Gen Comp Endocrinol. 1990 Oct;80(1):68-79 PMID: 2272481
  47. Identification of a glucocorticoid-induced nuclease in thymocytes. A potential "lysis gene" product.
    J Biol Chem. 1987 Jun 15;262(17):8288-92 PMID: 3496332
  48. Glucocorticoids activate a suicide process in thymocytes through an elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration.
    Arch Biochem Biophys. 1989 Feb 15;269(1):365-70 PMID: 2537063
  49. Glucocorticoid endangerment of hippocampal neurons does not involve deoxyribonucleic acid cleavage.
    Endocrinology. 1989 Jun;124(6):3083-8 PMID: 2721459
  50. Development of an apoptosis endonuclease assay.
    DNA Cell Biol. 1991 Mar;10(2):133-41 PMID: 1848435
  51. Micrococcal nuclease: its specificity and use for chromatin analysis.
    Int J Biochem. 1989;21(2):127-37 PMID: 2663558
  52. Extracellular ATP as a trigger for apoptosis or programmed cell death.
    J Cell Biol. 1991 Jan;112(2):279-88 PMID: 1988462
  53. Further studies on the response of intestinal crypt cells of different hierarchical status to eighteen different cytotoxic agents.
    Br J Cancer. 1987 Feb;55(2):113-23 PMID: 3814484
  54. Apoptosis: mechanisms and roles in pathology.
    Int Rev Exp Pathol. 1991;32:223-54 PMID: 1677933
  55. Chromatin cleavage in apoptosis: association with condensed chromatin morphology and dependence on macromolecular synthesis.
    J Pathol. 1984 Jan;142(1):67-77 PMID: 6422024
  56. Growth factors and cancer.
    Science. 1991 Nov 22;254(5035):1146-53 PMID: 1659742
  57. Cell death and the development of limb form and skeletal pattern in normal and wingless (ws) chick embryos.
    J Embryol Exp Morphol. 1973 Dec;30(3):753-72 PMID: 4272514
  58. Activation of programmed cell death in the rat ventral prostate after castration.
    Endocrinology. 1988 Feb;122(2):552-62 PMID: 2828003
Article Info
Journal
Cancer metastasis reviews
Abbr.
Cancer Metastasis Rev
ISSN
0167-7659
DOI
10.1007/BF00048058
Published
1992-09-00
Pages
105-19
Language
English
Region
Netherlands
NLM ID
8605731
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1007/BF00048058 View journal details
Analysis Services
Analysis Services

Contact

No. 2 Wenbo Road, Zhangqiu District, Jinan, Shandong

Qilu Normal University · Genelibs Bioinformatics Lab

750 Shunhua Rd, Jinan

2F, Bldg F, University Science Park

Tel: 0531-88819269

WeChat Official Account

Follow our WeChat subscription account for real-time updates and the latest in medical and biological research.


Business Email

E-mail: [email protected]

Copyright © 2026.Genelibs Jinan Honghui Biotechnology Co., Ltd. 鲁ICP备20007159号-2