Lee Sanggyu, Hwang Junmo, Ulaszek Jodie, Kim Yeong C, Dong Hui, Kim Hyung Soo, Seok Ji Woong, Suh Bo Kyung, Yim So Jeong, Johnson Debra, Choe Nong Hoon, Chang Kyu Tae, Ryoo Zae Young, Tseng Charles C, Wickrema Amittha, Wang San Ming
School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2007 Aug 3;359(3):556-62. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.05.168. Epub 2007 Jun 4.
When a cell is destined for apoptosis, will its genome reprogram its transcriptional machinery to overcome the life-threatening challenge? To address this issue, we performed a genome-wide transcriptome analysis in EPO (erythropoietin) deprivation-induced apoptotic erythroid cells using the SAGE method. The results show that the transcript contents for the majority of the genes remain unchanged in the apoptotic cells, including the apoptotic genes and the heat shock genes. Of the small number of genes with an altered expression, they are mainly associated with cellular structure. Our study reveals that there is no genetic reprogramming for the transcriptional machinery in the apoptotic genome. Apoptosis, as defined by programmed cell death, is not a crisis but a peaceful physiological process.
