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Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis
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Published on: February 16, 2015

Endonuclease activation and chromosomal DNA fragmentation during apoptosis in leukemia cells

Akira Yoshida1, Yves Pommier, Takanori Ueda

  • 1First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Matsuoka, Fukui, Japan. ayoshi@fmsrsa.fukui-med.ac.jp

International Journal of Hematology
|July 27, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Apoptotic endonucleases, including caspase-activated DNase (CAD) and Endonuclease G, are crucial for DNA fragmentation during apoptosis. Different leukemia cell types may utilize distinct apoptotic endonucleases.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Apoptotic endonuclease is vital for DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation during programmed cell death.
  • Caspase-3-activated endonucleases, such as DFF40 (human) and CAD (mouse), are key players in apoptosis.
  • Despite CAD/DFF40's role, alternative endonucleases contribute to DNA fragmentation, as evidenced by viable mice lacking ICAD/DFF45.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the features of various endonucleases involved in human leukemia cell apoptosis.
  • To highlight the potential diversity of apoptotic endonucleases across different leukemia subtypes.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on apoptotic endonucleases.
  • Analysis of known endonuclease functions in apoptosis.
  • Examination of findings related to Endonuclease G, Ape1, and AN34 in leukemia cells.

Main Results:

  • Several endonucleases, including CAD/DFF40, Endonuclease G, apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (Ape1), and its truncated form (AN34), are implicated in DNA fragmentation during apoptosis.
  • Ape1 and AN34 have been specifically identified in DNA fragmentation during apoptosis in leukemia cells.
  • The specific apoptotic endonuclease involved may differ depending on the type of leukemia cell.

Conclusions:

  • Apoptotic endonuclease activity is essential for DNA fragmentation in programmed cell death.
  • While CAD/DFF40 is a major nuclease, other enzymes like Endonuclease G, Ape1, and AN34 also contribute to DNA fragmentation.
  • The landscape of apoptotic endonucleases in human leukemia cells is diverse and cell-type specific.

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