Apoptotic bodies: mechanism of formation, isolation and functional relevance
Journal Title
Sub-Cellular Biochemistry
Abstract
In the final stages of apoptosis, apoptotic cells can generate a variety of membrane-bound vesicles known as apoptotic extracellular vesicles (ApoEVs). Apoptotic bodies (ApoBDs), a major subset of ApoEVs, are formed through a process termed apoptotic cell disassembly characterised by a series of tightly regulated morphological steps including plasma membrane blebbing, apoptotic membrane protrusion formation and fragmentation into ApoBDs. To better characterise the properties of ApoBDs and elucidate their function, a number of methods including differential centrifugation, filtration and fluorescence-activated cell sorting were developed to isolate ApoBDs. Furthermore, it has become increasingly clear that ApoBD formation can contribute to various biological processes such as apoptotic cell clearance and intercellular communication. Together, recent literature demonstrates that apoptotic cell disassembly and thus, ApoBD formation, is an important process downstream of apoptotic cell death. In this chapter, we discuss the current understandings of the molecular mechanisms involved in regulating apoptotic cell disassembly, techniques for ApoBD isolation, and the functional roles of ApoBDs in physiological and pathological settings.
Publisher
Springer
Keywords
Apoptosis; Apoptotic bodies; Apoptotic body isolation; Apoptotic cell clearance; Extracellular vesicles; Intercellular communication
Research Division(s)
Inflammation
PubMed ID
33779914
Terms of Use/Rights Notice
Refer to copyright notice on published article.


Creation Date: 2022-02-07 10:12:23
Last Modified: 2022-02-08 02:17:23
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