The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Apoptosis appears to be a carefully orchestrated process for the ordered dismantling of cells. A recent paper in BMC Developmental Biology shows that the disassembly of adherens junctions during apoptosis in Drosophila is progressive and requires the amino-terminal cleavage of the beta-catenin Armadillo by the apoptotic effector caspase DrICE.