Poly(ADP-ribosylation), an NAD dependent reaction culminating in the formation of ADP-ribose monomers, and their following polymerization, is activated as an emergency process in crucial situations such as DNA damage and cellular stress; due to this crucial function, the modulation of poly(ADP-ribosylation) during cell death has been investigated. This review will describe the properties of poly(ADP-ribose) as a signalling molecule in different paradigms of cell death, i.e.apoptosis, parthanatos, necroptosis and autophagy.