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Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Measuring Caspase Activity Using a Fluorometric Assay or Flow Cytometry
Published on: March 24, 2023
Yeast acetic acid-induced programmed cell death can occur without cytochrome c release which requires metacaspase
Nicoletta Guaragnella1, Antonella Bobba, Salvatore Passarella
1CNR, Istituto di Biomembrane e Bioenergetica, Bari, Italy.
Abstract:
To investigate the role of cytochrome c (cyt c) release in yeast acetic acid-induced programmed cell death (AA-PCD), wild type (wt) and cells lacking metacaspase (Deltayca1), cytochrome c (Deltacyc1,7) and both (Deltacyc1,7Deltayca1) were compared for AA-PCD occurrence, hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) production and caspase activity. AA-PCD occurs in Deltacyc1,7 and Deltacyc1,7Deltayca1 cells slower than in wt, but similar to that in Deltayca1 cells, in which no cytochrome c release occurs. Both H(2)O(2) production and caspase activation occur in these cells with early and extra-activation in Deltacyc1,7 cells. We conclude that alternative death pathways can be activated in yeast AA-PCD, one dependent on cyt c release, which requires YCA1, and the other(s) independent on it.
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