"Autoschizis is a novel type of programmed cell death characterized by exaggerated membrane damage and the progressive loss of cytoplasm through a series of self-excisions. These self-excisions typically continue until the perikaryon consists of an apparently intact, round nucleus surrounded by a thin rim of cytoplasm that contains damaged organelles. During the process of cell death by autoschizis, nucleoplasms initially become more chromatic and then progressively lose chromaticity as their size decreases. Concomitant with this diminution in cell size, the nuclei become smaller and contain large nucleoli, which become round and compact. Therefore, before it dies, the size of the resultant autoschizic cell is much smaller than the tumor cell from which it originated".
Reference: Autoschizis: a novel cell death. Jamison JM, Gilloteaux J, Taper HS, Calderon PB, Summers JL. Biochem Pharmacol. 2002 May 15;63(10):1773-83. Review.
Stages
At early stage of autoschizis, cells exhibit exaggerated membrane damage superficial cytoskeleton, and meshed nucleolus.
As autoschizis continues, segregation of organelles in the perikaryon, progressive cytoplasmic excisions, rounding of the nucleus, and segregation of the nucleolus.
The nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio is maintained while cell size decreases through further autoschizic processes. Chromatin associated with the nucleolus is extruded leaving a round mass of ribonucleoprotein.
The tumor cell is reduced to a perikaryon where the remaining cytoplasm is excised continuously and the nuclear chromatin undergoes further digestion. The nuclei exhibited nucleolar segregation and chromatin decondensation
The tumor cell undergoes karyorrhexis (Karyorrhexis is the destructive fragmentation of the nucleus of a dying cell, whereby its chromatin is distributed irregularly throughout the cytoplasm) and karyolysis (complete dissolution of the chromatin matter of a dying cell due to the activity of DNAase.).
