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Immune Homeostasis pp 1–14Cite as

Quantitating Lymphocyte Programmed Cell Death In Vitro Using Simple Kill Assays

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Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 979))

Abstract

Programmed cell death is essential to maintaining lymphocyte homeostasis during the contraction phase of the immune response. Activated lymphocytes become susceptible to a variety of programmed cell death (PCD) stimuli over the course of a typical immune response. This chapter outlines two simple approaches for measuring programmed cell death of lymphocytes cultured in vitro, regardless of the stimulus provided. These techniques exploit changes in plasma membrane integrity and/or mitochondrial membrane potential that are characteristic of cells undergoing PCD. The detection methods discussed are generally applicable for assessing cell death in several contexts, expanded upon in further detail in subsequent chapters.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Lixin Zheng

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  1. Lixin Zheng
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Correspondence to Lixin Zheng .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. of the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, Uniformed Services University, Jones Bridge Road 4301, Bethesda, 20814, Maryland, USA

    Andrew L. Snow

  2. NIAID, Laboratory of Immunology, National Institutes of Health, Rockville Pike 9000, Bethesda, 20892, Maryland, USA

    Michael J. Lenardo

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Zheng, L. (2013). Quantitating Lymphocyte Programmed Cell Death In Vitro Using Simple Kill Assays. In: Snow, A., Lenardo, M. (eds) Immune Homeostasis. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 979. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-290-2_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-290-2_1

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-289-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-290-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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