Editing Apoptosis (section)

===Apoptotic cell disassembly===
[[File:Apoptotic cell disassembly.png|thumb|500px|Different steps in apoptotic cell disassembly<ref>{{Cite journal| vauthors = Smith A, Parkes MA, Atkin-Smith GK, Tixeira R, Poon IK |title=Cell disassembly during apoptosis|journal=WikiJournal of Medicine|language=en|volume=4|issue=1|doi=10.15347/wjm/2017.008|year=2017|doi-access=free}}</ref>]]
Before the apoptotic cell is disposed of, there is a process of disassembly. There are three recognized steps in apoptotic cell disassembly:<ref name="pmid28102458">{{cite journal | vauthors = Tixeira R, Caruso S, Paone S, Baxter AA, Atkin-Smith GK, Hulett MD, Poon IK | title = Defining the morphologic features and products of cell disassembly during apoptosis | journal = Apoptosis | volume = 22 | issue = 3 | pages = 475–477 | date = March 2017 | pmid = 28102458 | doi = 10.1007/s10495-017-1345-7 | s2cid = 34648758 }}</ref>
# Membrane blebbing: The cell membrane shows irregular buds known as [[bleb (cell biology)|blebs]]. Initially these are smaller surface blebs. Later these can grow into larger so-called dynamic membrane blebs.<ref name="pmid28102458"/> An important regulator of apoptotic cell membrane blebbing is [[ROCK1]] (rho associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase 1).<ref name="pmid11283606">{{cite journal | vauthors = Coleman ML, Sahai EA, Yeo M, Bosch M, Dewar A, Olson MF | title = Membrane blebbing during apoptosis results from caspase-mediated activation of ROCK I | journal = Nature Cell Biology | volume = 3 | issue = 4 | pages = 339–345 | date = April 2001 | pmid = 11283606 | doi = 10.1038/35070009 | s2cid = 2537726 }}</ref><ref name="pmid11283607">{{cite journal | vauthors = Sebbagh M, Renvoizé C, Hamelin J, Riché N, Bertoglio J, Bréard J | title = Caspase-3-mediated cleavage of ROCK I induces MLC phosphorylation and apoptotic membrane blebbing | journal = Nature Cell Biology | volume = 3 | issue = 4 | pages = 346–352 | date = April 2001 | pmid = 11283607 | doi = 10.1038/35070019 | s2cid = 36187702 }}</ref>
# Formation of membrane protrusions: Some cell types, under specific conditions, may develop different types of long, thin extensions of the cell membrane called membrane protrusions. Three types have been described: [[microtubule]] spikes, '''apoptopodia''' (''feet of death''), and '''beaded apoptopodia''' (the latter having a beads-on-a-string appearance).<ref name="pmid16723742">{{cite journal | vauthors = Moss DK, Betin VM, Malesinski SD, Lane JD | title = A novel role for microtubules in apoptotic chromatin dynamics and cellular fragmentation | journal = Journal of Cell Science | volume = 119 | issue = Pt 11 | pages = 2362–2374 | date = June 2006 | pmid = 16723742 | pmc = 1592606 | doi = 10.1242/jcs.02959 }}</ref><ref name="pmid24646995">{{cite journal | vauthors = Poon IK, Chiu YH, Armstrong AJ, Kinchen JM, Juncadella IJ, Bayliss DA, Ravichandran KS | title = Unexpected link between an antibiotic, pannexin channels and apoptosis | journal = Nature | volume = 507 | issue = 7492 | pages = 329–334 | date = March 2014 | pmid = 24646995 | pmc = 4078991 | doi = 10.1038/nature13147 | bibcode = 2014Natur.507..329P }}</ref><ref name="pmid26074490">{{cite journal | vauthors = Atkin-Smith GK, Tixeira R, Paone S, Mathivanan S, Collins C, Liem M, Goodall KJ, Ravichandran KS, Hulett MD, Poon IK | display-authors = 6 | title = A novel mechanism of generating extracellular vesicles during apoptosis via a beads-on-a-string membrane structure | journal = Nature Communications | volume = 6 | pages = 7439 | date = June 2015 | pmid = 26074490 | pmc = 4490561 | doi = 10.1038/ncomms8439 | bibcode = 2015NatCo...6.7439A }}</ref> [[Pannexin 1]] is an important component of membrane channels involved in the formation of apoptopodia and beaded apoptopodia.<ref name="pmid24646995"/>
# [[Fragmentation (cell biology)|Fragmentation]]: The cell breaks apart into multiple [[Vesicle (biology and chemistry)|vesicles]] called ''apoptotic bodies'', which undergo [[phagocytosis]]. The plasma membrane protrusions may help bring apoptotic bodies closer to [[phagocyte]]s.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}