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Apoptotic Caspase Activation and Activity

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Apoptosis and Cancer

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology™ ((MIMB,volume 414))

Summary

Caspases are central to the execution of apoptosis. Their proteolytic activity is responsible for the demise of cells in many physiological and pathological states. Great advances in understanding caspases have been made using recombinant caspase expression and enzymatic characterization. Assays to measure caspase activity in apoptotic cell extracts and the development of a reconstituted cell-free assay were also critical in establishing the hierarchy in the caspase activation cascade and comprehend how caspase-9 is activated by the apoptosome. More recently, new tools such as activity-based probes allowed us to detect caspase activation in their working environment providing readout of the system with minimal interference. This chapter describes some of the methods used by our group to study the activation mechanisms of caspases and their activity.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the members of our laboratory who provided some of the results presented in this chapter and for carefully reviewing protocols.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA

    Jean-Bernard Denault

  2. Program in Cell Death and Apoptosis Research, The Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA

    Guy S. Salvesen

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  1. Jean-Bernard Denault
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  2. Guy S. Salvesen
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

    Gil Mor  & Ayesha B. Alvero  & 

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Denault, JB., Salvesen, G.S. (2008). Apoptotic Caspase Activation and Activity. In: Mor, G., Alvero, A.B. (eds) Apoptosis and Cancer. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 414. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-339-4_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-339-4_15

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-457-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-339-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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