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- Title
In situ trapping of activated initiator caspases reveals a role for caspase-2 in heat shock-induced apoptosis.
- Authors
Shine Tu; McStay, Gavin P.; Boucher, Louis-Martin; Mak, Tak; Beere, Helen M.; Green, Douglas R.
- Abstract
Activation of 'initiator' (or 'apical') caspases-2, -8 or -9 (refs 1–3) is crucial for induction of apoptosis. These caspases function to activate executioner caspapses that, in turn, orchestrate apoptotic cell death. Here, we show that a cell-permeable, biotinylated pan-caspase inhibitor (bVAD–fmk) both inhibited and 'trapped' the apical caspase activated when apoptosis was triggered. As expected, only caspase-8 was trapped in response to ligation of death receptors, whereas only caspase-9 was trapped in response to a variety of other apoptosis-inducing agents. Caspase-2 was exclusively activated in heat shock-induced apoptosis. This activation of caspase-2 was also observed in cells protected from heat-shock-induced apoptosis by Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL. Reduced sensitivity to heat-shock-induced death was observed in caspase-2−/− cells. Furthermore, cells lacking the adapter molecule RAIDD failed to activate caspase-2 after heat shock treatment and showed resistance to apoptosis in this setting. This approach unambiguously identifies the apical caspase activated in response to apoptotic stimuli, and establishes caspase-2 as a proximal mediator of heat shock-induced apoptosis.
- Publication
Nature Cell Biology, 2006, Vol 8, Issue 1, p72
- ISSN
1465-7392
- Publication type
Academic Journal
- DOI
10.1038/ncb1340