Caspase-activated DNase (CAD) and its inhibitor ICAD are major components of the cellular machinery that drives apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death.
CAD, also known as DNA fragmentation factor 40-kd subunit (DFF40), is an enzyme that breaks down DNA into fragments during the process of apoptosis. When a cell receives a signal to die, caspases (a family of proteins involved in initiating apoptosis) activate CAD by cleaving ICAD, its inhibitor.
ICAD, also known as DNA fragmentation factor 45-kd subunit (DFF45), serves as a chaperone to CAD and prevent its activity until the apoptotic signal is received. Once ICAD is cleaved by activated caspases, CAD is released and set to action - degrading nuclear DNA, which leads to the characteristic DNA ladder formation seen in apoptotic cells.
Together, CAD and ICAD play crucial roles in apoptosis, ensuring that DNA degradation is a tightly controlled process. Deregulation of this apoptosis mediated DNA degradation can lead to pathological conditions such as cancer. |
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