Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2005:23:853-75.
doi: 10.1146/annurev.immunol.23.021704.115811.

DNA degradation in development and programmed cell death

Shigekazu Nagata  1
Affiliations
Review

DNA degradation in development and programmed cell death

Shigekazu Nagata. Annu Rev Immunol. 2005.

Abstract

Most mammalian cells have nuclei that contain DNA, which replicates during cell proliferation. DNA is destroyed by various developmental processes in mammals. It is degraded during programmed cell death that accompanies mammalian development. The nuclei of erythrocytes and eye lens fiber cells are also removed during their differentiation into mature cells. If DNA is not properly degraded in these processes, it can cause various diseases, including tissue atrophy, anemia, cataract, and autoimmune diseases, which indicates that DNA can be a pathogenic molecule. Here, I present how DNA is degraded during programmed cell death, erythroid cell differentiation, and lens cell differentiation. I discuss what might be or will be learned from understanding the molecular mechanisms of DNA degradation that occurs during mammalian development.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources

-