Abstract
The possible correlation between DNA digestion and changes in nuclear morphology in apoptosis was studied by blocking the apoptotic process at intermediate stages. The apoptogenic action of three drugs: etoposide, puromycin, tributyltin, was contrasted with protease inhibitors with different specificity on U937 cells. The inhibitors interfered with the development of the apoptotic features without shifting cell death to necrosis: treated cells showed abnormal morphologies, which could be recognized as intermediate stages of apoptosis; accordingly, DNA analysis showed an inhibitor-dependent block of the apoptotic DNA digestion. The comparison between size of DNA fragments and nuclear morphology suggested the following correlations: loss of normal nuclear shape with the appearence of a ≥ 2 Mb DNA band; ongoing chromatin condensation with the progressive DNA digestion up to 50 kb; nuclear fragmentation with DNA laddering. Protease inhibitors in etoposide-treated cells did not allow the formation of 700-300 kb fragments, suggesting that they possibly derive from a cell-mediated effect.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 9-14 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | FEBS Letters |
Volume | 377 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 11 1995 |
Keywords
- Apoptosis
- DNA digestion
- Etoposide
- Nuclear morphology
- Proteases inhibitor
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
- Structural Biology