EXPRESSION OF A SPECIFIC MARKER OF AVIAN PROGRAMMED CELL-DEATH IN BOTH APOPTOSIS AND NECROSIS

Apoptosis and necrosis are two types of cell death with different morp hologic features. We report here the isolation of a monoclonal antibod y, BV2, that specifically recognizes cells undergoing developmental pr ogrammed cell death in different tissues of the chicken and zebra-finc h embryos. The antigen recognized by BV2 monoclonal antibody is detect ed in vitro in primary chicken embryonic fibroblasts induced to die by actinomycin D, as well as fibroblasts induced to die by chemical anox ia. The expression of this specific antigen during necrosis appears to require active protein synthesis. These findings provide evidence tha t cells from different embryonic tissues undergoing programmed cell de ath during vertebrate development express similar antigens and indicat e that apoptosis and necrosis may share similar biochemical features.