The application of NMR spectroscopy to the study of apoptosis

Programmed cell death is a physiological process whereby multicellular organisms eliminate unwanted cells. The unravelling of this process has thus far remained in the hands of molecular and cell biologists. These studies have therefore led to a detailed understanding of the genetic nature and some control mechanisms regulating this complex process. However, the biochemical consequences of apoptosis within the cell still remain elusive. NMR spectroscopy, which allows the detection, identification and quantitation of a large number of metabolites and macromolecules, is being utilized to define some of these metabolic processes. The initial application of NMR spectroscopy, to solving the mysteries of apoptosis were confined to elucidating the macromolecular structure of the proteins involved in initiating programmed cell death. The ability of NMR to monitor energy metabolites non-invasively was so put to use in correlating the temporal changes in the rate of apoptosis to these metabolites. More recent studies have shown changes in both a range of small molecules and membrane components. The power of NMR spectroscopy is being used in more laboratories and is likely to become the method of choice for the possible detection of apoptosis in vivo once the NMR signals associated with the apoptotic process have been established in vitro.