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- Apoptosis Type of cell death which is thought to be under direct genetic control (see PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH), and which is distinct from the process of necrosis. During apoptosis, cells lose their CELL JUNCTIONS and microvilli, the cytoplasm condenses and nuclear CHROMATIN marginates into a number of discrete masses. While the nucleus fragments, the cytoplasm contracts and mitochondria and ribosomes become densely compacted. After dilation of the endoplasmic reticulum and its fusion with the plasma membrane, the cell breaks up into several membrane- bound vesicles - apoptotic bodies - which are usually phagocytosed by adjacent cells. Activation of particular genes (e.g. ced genes in Caenorhabditis elegans, TUMOUR SUPPRESSOR GENES in vertebrates) is thought to be necessary for apoptosis to occur. Apoptosis induced by numerous cytotoxic agents can be suppressed by expression of the gene bcl-2 which produces a cytoplasmic protein Bcl-2. As fragmentation of chromatin into oligonucleotide fragments is characteristic of the final stages of apoptosis, DNA cleavage patterns can be used as an in vitro assay for its occurrence. CYTOTOXIC T CELLS induce apoptosis in their target cells by binding to a cell-surface protein Fas (Apo-1) but the signalling mechanism is not yet known.
Extraction Method: Medical Objects-
Eliminated words list: MedlinePlus List
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Database: Medline abstracts
Publication Type: All
Score Calculation Method: Cosine Similarity Method
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Results computed on: 6/9/2006
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