Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia.
Inflammation Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
Subcell Biochem. 2021;97:61-88. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-67171-6_4.
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.
在细胞凋亡的最后阶段，凋亡细胞可以产生多种膜结合囊泡，称为凋亡细胞外囊泡（ApoEVs）。凋亡小体（ApoBDs）是 ApoEVs 的主要亚群，通过称为凋亡细胞解体的过程形成，该过程的特征是一系列紧密调控的形态步骤，包括质膜起泡、凋亡膜突起形成和碎裂成 ApoBDs。为了更好地描述 ApoBDs 的特性并阐明其功能，已经开发了包括差速离心、过滤和荧光激活细胞分选在内的多种方法来分离 ApoBDs。此外，越来越明显的是，ApoBD 的形成可以促进各种生物学过程，如凋亡细胞清除和细胞间通讯。总之，最近的文献表明，凋亡细胞解体，从而 ApoBD 的形成，是凋亡细胞死亡下游的一个重要过程。在本章中，我们讨论了调节凋亡细胞解体的分子机制、ApoBD 分离技术以及 ApoBD 在生理和病理环境中的功能作用的当前认识。
