Polyclonal Antibody to ICAD (mouse) (CT)

Deregulation of apoptosis is related to a variety of diseases. Apoptosis can be induced by a family of death receptors and their ligands. Death signals can be transduced by death domain containing adapter molecules and members of the caspase family of proteases. These death signals finally cause the degradation of chromosomal DNA by activated DNase. A human DNA fragmentation factor (DFF) was identified recently which was cleaved by caspase-3 during apoptosis [1]. The mouse homologue of human DFF was identified as a DNase inhibitor designated ICAD, for inhibitor of caspase-activated DNase [2,3]. Upon cleavage of DFF/ICAD, a caspase activated deoxyribonuclease (CAD) is released and activated and eventually causes the degradation of DNA in the nuclei [2,3]. Therefore, the cleavage of CAD inhibitor molecule DFF/ICAD, which causes DNase activation and DNA degradation, is hallmark of apoptotic cell death [4].