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Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis
Published on: February 16, 2015
Genetic analysis of apoptotic execution
Sandrine Ruchand1, Kumiko Samejima, Damien Hudson
1Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology, ICMB, Swann Building, University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JR, Scotland, UK.
Abstract:
Chicken DT40 cells are a very favourable system to use for the study of apoptosis. These cells undergo apoptosis readily in response to a variety of physiological and experimental stimuli. Their response to chemotherapeutic agents such as etoposide is rapid and efficient, facilitating biochemical analysis of apoptotic execution. Because many of the genes involved in apoptotic execution are not essential for cellular life, DT40 cells also provide a ready system for the genetic analysis of apoptosis, in which true null mutations may be isolated. Here we describe standard procedures for the induction and analysis of apoptosis in DT40 cells. We also describe a few of the conclusions from our studies in which several components of the apoptotic execution pathway have been knocked out.
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Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the 20th century...

