Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis
Published on: February 16, 2015
Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) nuclear translocation mediated caspase-independent mechanism involves in
Shana Yang1, Jianrong Huang2, Pan Liu1
1a Department of Physiology , Guangzhou Medical University , Guangzhou , Guangdong , China.
Purpose:
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and radiotherapy is a conventional therapy following surgery. Previous studies have demonstrated that except the caspase-dependent pathway, caspase-independent pathway is also involved in the cell death responding to irradiation, despite the unclear mechanism. The purpose of the present study was to observe the role of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), the first identified caspase-independent molecule, in X-ray-induced breast cancer cell (MCF-7) cell death.
Materials And Methods:
In this study, WST-1 assay, DAPI nuclear staining and clonogenic survival assay were used to test the cell response to different treatments; Western blot was used to detect the protein expression; RT-PCR and plasmid transfection were used to observe the role of AIF.
Results:
X-ray-induced AIF transferred from the mitochondrion to the nucleus. Inhibition of AIF expression reduced X-ray-induced MCF-7 cell death. Further, AIF nuclear translocation is in a caspase-independent manner in this process, but not caspase-dependent manner.
Conclusions:
The present study revealed that AIF nuclear translocation proceeded in X-ray-induced MCF-7 cell death in a caspase-independent manner.
Related Concept Videos
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
Apoptosis
Caspases
Overview of Cell Death
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...
Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells
Normal cells contain receptors that prevent them from being recognized...

