anti-CAD (Caspase-activated Dnase DFF40), pAb

CAD (caspase-activated DNase), a 40kDa nuclear protein, is primarily responsible for cell-autonomous DNA degradation during apoptosis. CAD is present in healthy cells where it is held in an inactive state through the association with its inhibitor ICAD. The ICAD protein is inactivated in apoptotic cells via caspase-3 cleavage thereby releasing CAD, which subsequently cleaves chromosomal DNA. CAD is a magnesium-dependent endonuclease specific for double stranded DNA that generates double strand breaks with 3'-hydroxyl ends. The nuclease preferentially attacks chromatin in the internucleosomal linker DNA. However, the nuclease hypersensitive sites can be detected and CAD is potentially involved in large-scale DNA fragmentation as well. CAD-mediated DNA fragmentation triggers chromatin condensation that is another hallmark of apoptosis. Nuclease that induces DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation during apoptosis. Degrades naked DNA and induces apoptotic morphology.