Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Lighting Up the Pathways to Caspase Activation Using Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation
Published on: March 5, 2018
Caspase 6 activity initiates caspase 3 activation in cerebellar granule cell apoptosis
T E Allsopp1, J McLuckie, L E Kerr
1Fujisawa Institute for Neuroscience in Edinburgh, The Department of Neuroscience, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK. Timothy.Allsopp@ed.ac.uk
Abstract:
Using a well documented ex vivo system consisting of rodent cerebellar granule cells (CGCs) the activation of caspases 3 and 6 during apoptosis induced by withdrawal of trophic support was analyzed. At the time of deprivation, the addition of the irreversible, broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor zVADfmk or the cell permeable, caspase 6 inhibitor CP-VEID-cho can transiently suppress the appearance of apoptosis, including the early appearance of DNA fragmentation. Using immunoblotting and fluorogenic peptide assays we observe deprivation-induced activation of caspases 3 and 6, but not caspase 9. Furthermore, active caspase 6 is capable of processing and activating procaspase 3 in cellular extracts prepared from non-apoptotic CGCs, whereas caspase 3 failed to activate caspase 6. In consonant with this, the cell permeable caspase 6 inhibitor prevented deprivation-induced caspase 3 activation whereas a cell permeable caspase 3 inhibitor, CP-DEVD-cho, had no effect on caspase 6 activation. This would indicate that caspase 6 is a significant inducer of the early caspase 3 activity in apoptotic CGCs.
Related Concept Videos
Apoptosis
Caspases
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
Autophagic Cell Death
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

