简介:<正>Apoptosisisahighlyregulatedphysiologicalprocesscriticalindevelopmentandtissuehomeostasis.Abnormalapoptosiscanleadtodiseaseconditionsincludingneurodegeneration,autoimmunityandcancer.DNAfragmentationisanintegralpartofapoptosisandhaslongbeensuspectedtobeofcriticalimportanceincleaninguppotentiallyantigenicDNAandgeneticmaterialcapableofinducingneoplasmictransformationinneighboringcells.DirectevidenceforthisfunctionofDNAfragmentationhowever,isstilllacking.TheidentificationofaheterodimericDNAfragmentationfactor45and40(DFF45andDFF40,alsocalledICADforInhibitorofCaspaseActivatedDNaseandCADforCaspaseActivatedDNaserespectively)aswellas