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Caspases

Caspases

Caspase, a family of cysteine proteases, serve as effectors in apoptosis. The ced3 gene in C.elegans was first identified to be involved in apoptosis. This gene encodes the ced-3 caspase that is similar to the interleukin-1-beta converting enzyme or ICE in mammals. In addition to apoptosis, caspases also function in the inflammatory response. Inflammatory caspases are essential in activating pro-inflammatory cytokines that recruit immune cells and block the replication of pathogens inside...

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...

Apoptosis

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a combination of two Greek words, 'apo' and 'ptosis,' meaning separation and falling off, respectively. Hippocrates used this word to describe gangrene, which was caused due to bandaging of fractured bones. Apoptosis was distinguished from necrosis in 1970 when John Kerr reported observations of morphological changes occurring during apoptosis. During one experiment, he observed that the disruption of blood supply to the liver tissue resulted in a size...

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The extrinsic apoptotic pathway is initiated when extracellular death-inducing signals, such as specific cytokines, activate the death receptors expressed on the cell surface. The immune cells involved in this pathway are natural killer cells (NK cells) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. NK cells are critical in innate immune response, while cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are associated with adaptive immune response. These cells recognize specific receptors expressed on the altered cells and activate...

Overview of Cell Death

Overview of Cell Death

Cell death is an essential process where the body gets rid of old or damaged cells. Cell proliferation and death need to be balanced, as an imbalance between the two may lead to cancer or autoimmune diseases.
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...

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Related Experiment Videos

A cut above the other caspases.

Joshua L Andersen¹, Sally Kornbluth

¹Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 3813, C370 LSRC, Durham, NC 27710, USA.

|September 29, 2009

Summary

Researchers developed a new method to visualize caspase-2 activation during apoptosis. This technique helps clarify the role of caspase-2 in cell death signaling pathways.

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Caspase-2 is a key enzyme in apoptotic signaling cascades.
Its precise role in initiating programmed cell death remains debated.
Previous methods lacked the resolution to track caspase-2 activation in real-time.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a novel real-time imaging technique for visualizing caspase-2 activation.
To resolve controversies regarding the position of caspase-2 in apoptotic pathways.
To provide new insights into the dynamics of programmed cell death.

Main Methods:

Development of a novel fluorescent probe for caspase-2 activity.
Real-time imaging of caspase-2 activation in living cells.
Quantitative analysis of caspase-2 activation kinetics.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

Successfully visualized caspase-2 activation in real-time.
Demonstrated that caspase-2 activation precedes downstream apoptotic events.
Provided evidence for caspase-2's role as an initiator caspase.

Conclusions:

The novel imaging approach offers unprecedented resolution of caspase-2 activity.
This study clarifies the role of caspase-2 in initiating apoptosis.
The findings have implications for understanding and targeting cell death pathways.