Apoptosis is an energy-dependent process of cell suicide in response to a variety of stimuli
and is characterized by a number of distinct morphological features and biochemical
processes including cell shrinkage and partial detachment from substratum, plasma
membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation and intra-nucleosomal cleavage and,
ultimately, cell fragmentation into apoptotic bodies which are phagocytosed without
provoking an inflammatory response (White, 1996; Vaux & Strasser, 1996). Apoptosis is …

▪ Abstract Successful viral replication requires not only the efficient production and spread of
progeny, but also evasion of host defense mechanisms that limit replication by killing
infected cells. In addition to inducing immune and inflammatory responses, infection by most
viruses triggers apoptosis or programmed cell death of the infected cell. This cell response
often results as a compulsory or unavoidable by-product of the action of critical viral
replicative functions. In addition, some viruses seem to use apoptosis as a mechanism of …