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Letter

Nature Cell Biology 9, 541–549 (1 May 2007) | doi:10.1038/ncb1574

C. elegans mitochondrial factor WAH-1 promotes phosphatidylserine externalization in apoptotic cells through phospholipid scramblase SCRM-1

Xiaochen Wang , Jin Wang , Keiko Gengyo-Ando , Lichuan Gu , Chun-Ling Sun , Chonglin Yang , Yong Shi , Tetsuo Kobayashi , Yigong Shi , Shohei Mitani , Xiao-Song Xie & Ding Xue

Externalization of phosphatidylserine, which is normally restricted to the inner leaflet of plasma membrane, is a hallmark of mammalian apoptosis. It is not known what activates and mediates the phosphatidylserine externalization process in apoptotic cells.