Nuclear changes in apoptosis

Abstract

Specific proteinases of the Ced-3/interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme family trigger a multi-enzyme cascade that drives apoptotic events. Studies with newly developed cell-free systems have begun to identify the substrates of these and other proteinases in apoptosis. Studies with intact cells have revealed that cleavage of the genome into domain-sized fragments precedes the activation of a second nuclease that fragments the DNA into nucleosome-sized pieces.