Programmed cell death by apoptosis plays a major role in neurogenesis.
The sensitivity to apoptosis in developing nervous tissue is
strongly dependent on cell interactions taking place within
a highly structured environment, composed of various cell types
at distinct stages of differentiation. In this article, we review
evidence gathered both
in vivo and in a histotypical retinal
explant preparation
in vitro that the bifunctional AP endonuclease/redox
factor Ref-1 (HAP1, APE, APEX) may be an anti-apoptotic protein
associated with cell differentiation in the developing retina.
