Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 15, 2026

A β-glucuronidase GUS Based Cell Death Assay
Published on: May 6, 2011
Plant programmed cell death from a chromatin point of view
D Latrasse1,2, M Benhamed1,2, C Bergounioux1,2
1Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay IPS2, CNRS, INRA, Université Paris-Sud, Université Evry, Université Paris-Saclay, Batiment 630, 91405 Orsay, France.
Abstract:
Programmed cell death (PCD) is a ubiquitous genetically regulated process consisting of the activation of finely controlled signalling pathways that lead to cellular suicide. PCD can be part of a developmental programme (dPCD) or be triggered by environmental conditions (ePCD). In plant cells, as in animal cells, extensive chromatin condensation and degradation of the nuclear DNA are among the most conspicuous features of cells undergoing PCD. Changes in chromatin condensation could either reflect the structural changes required for internucleosomal fragmentation of nuclear DNA or relate to large-scale chromatin rearrangements associated with a major transcriptional switch occurring during cell death. The aim of this review is to give an update on plant PCD processes from a chromatin point of view. The first part will be dedicated to chromatin conformational changes associated with cell death observed in various developmental and physiological conditions, whereas the second part will be devoted to histone dynamics and DNA modifications associated with critical changes in genome expression during the cell death process.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Overview of Cell Death
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the...
Apoptosis
Chromatin Modification in iPS Cells
Compact chromatin makes reprogramming difficult. Enzymes, such as histone demethylases and acetyltransferases, are often added during reprogramming to loosen the chromatin, making the DNA more accessible to transcription factors. Molecules that inhibit histone...
Negative Regulator Molecules
Autophagic Cell Death
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and...
Introduction to Nuclear Reprogramming

