DFFA

Apoptosis is a cell death process that removes toxic and/or useless cells during mammalian development. The apoptotic process is accompanied by shrinkage and fragmentation of the cells and nuclei and degradation of the chromosomal DNA into nucleosomal units. DNA fragmentation factor (DFF) is a heterodimeric protein of 40-kD (DFFB) and 45-kD (DFFA) subunits. DFFA is the substrate for caspase-3 and triggers DNA fragmentation during apoptosis. DFF becomes activated when DFFA is cleaved by caspase-3. The cleaved fragments of DFFA dissociate from DFFB, the active component of DFF. DFFB has been found to trigger both DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation during apoptosis. Two alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms have been found for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]

DNA Fragmentation Factor Subunit Alpha

Inhibitor of the caspase-activated DNase (DFF40).

Apoptotic DNA fragmentation Source: Reactome
Chaperone-mediated protein folding Source: CAFA
Negative regulation of apoptotic DNA fragmentation Source: MGI
Negative regulation of deoxyribonuclease activity Source: CAFA
Negative regulation of execution phase of apoptosis Source: BHF-UCL
Positive regulation of apoptotic process Source: Ensembl
Regulation of apoptotic process Source: GO_Central
Thymocyte apoptotic process Source: Ensembl

Cytoplasm

Caspase-3 cleaves DFF45 at 2 sites to generate an active factor.