Whatever the identity of the
macromolecules that are synthesized during this latent period, neutrophin
withdrawal ultimately results in a stereotypic series of morphological
changes that include neurite withdrawal, cytoplasmic blebbing, and nuclear
fragmentation in the model systems described above. Higher-order DNA
fragmentation is generally demonstrable in these model systems using terminal
transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL), although
cleavage of DNA into oligonucleosomal fragments is variably observed.