The APCS/SAP is a glycoprotein, belonging to the pentraxin family of proteins, which has a characteristic pentameric organization. Although the function of APCS/SAP has not been clearly established, it has been shown to interact with DNA and histones and is thought to play a role in scavenging nuclear material released from damaged circulating cells. This protein is also thought to control the degradation of chromatin. It has been demonstrated that this protein binds to apoptotic cells at an early stage, which raises the possibility that it is involved in dealing with apoptotic cells in vivo.
