title: Roles of the major apoptotic nuclease-DNA fragmentation factor-in biology and disease.
abstract: It has now been more than ten years since the discovery of the major apoptotic nuclease, DNA fragmentation factor (DFF), also known as caspase-activated DNase (CAD). Here we review the recent literature that has uncovered new insight into DFF's regulation, and both its positive and negative roles in human disease. Cells from mice deficient in DFF still undergo apoptotic death without significant cell-autonomous DNA degradation. Their corpses' genomes are subsequently degraded by lysosomal DNase II after phagocytosis. However,DFF-deficient mice are more susceptible to cancer. Indeed, several different cancers in humans are associated with defects in DFF expression and it has been proposed that DFF is a p53-independent tumor suppressor. Negative aspects of DFF expression include contributing to susceptibility to acquire systemic lupus erythematosus, to chromosomal translocations that result in mixed lineage leukemias, and in the possible spreading of oncogenes and HIV due to horizontal gene transfer.
authors.affiliation: Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Widlak
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Garrard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000235:genetics; D009154:Mutation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D021122:Protein Subunits; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases; C109663:caspase-activated deoxyribonuclease