• Select from a range of kits using inhibitors and substrates specific for different caspases
  
• Easily detect results using fluorometry, fluorescence microscopy, and flow cytometry
  
• Sensitive fluorescent cell-permeable reagents

Caspase enzymes are cysteine proteases. They require an aspartic acid residue at the C-terminal end (P1 site) of the 4-5 amino acid target sequence. Like other intracellular protease systems, caspases are initially synthesized as inactive zymogen precursors which can be rapidly activated upon auto and heterologous enzymatic processing at specific sites containing an aspartic acid. Up-regulation and initiation of the caspase enzyme cascade is the central driving force behind apoptosis. Although a number of other intracellular enzyme families, including the cathepsins, calpains, and granzymes, participate in the cell break-down mechanism, the caspase enzyme cascade seems to occupy the central effector role in the cell suicide process.

ICT offers a series of assays to measure the activity of various caspases. A variety of caspase inhibitors and substrates labeled with different fluorescent moieties are available to suit your experimental needs. All assays utilize convenient cell-permeable fluorescent substrates so they can be easily carried out on whole cells without lysis or cell-permeabilization treatment.

Assays with FAM-Labeled Inhibitors (green fluorescence; Ex-490 nm, Em-520 nm)

FAM Poly-Caspase Assay Kit with FAM-VAD-FMK FAM Caspase 1 Assay Kit with FAM-YVAD-FMK FAM Caspase 2 Assay Kit with FAM-VDVAD-FMK FAM Caspase 3 & 7 Assay Kit with FAM-DEVD-FMK FAM Caspase 6 Assay Kit with FAM-VEID-FMK FAM Caspase 8 Assay Kit with FAM-LETD-FMK FAM Caspase 9 Assay Kit with FAM-LEHD-FMK FAM Caspase 10 Assay Kit with FAM-AEVD-FMK FAM Caspase 13 Assay Kit with FAM-LEED-FMK

Assays with Sulforhodamine-Labeled Inhibitors (red fluorescence; Ex=560 nm, Em=600 nm)

Sulforhodamine (SR) Poly-Caspase Detection Kit with SR-VAD-FMK Sulforhodamine (SR) Caspase 3 & 7 Assay Kit with SR-DEVD-FMK Sulforhodamine (SR) Caspase 9 Assay Kit with SR-LEHD-FMK

Magic Red™ Assay (red fluorescence; Ex=540 & 590 nm, Em>600 nm)

MR-(DEVD)2 to detect caspase 3 & 7

References:

• Talanian, R. V., K. D. Brady and V. L. Cryns. 2002. Caspases as targets for anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic drug discovery. J. Med. Chem. 43:3351-3371.
  
• Earnshaw, W. C., L. M. Martins and S. H. Kaufman. 1999. Mammalian caspases: structural, activation, substrates, and functions during apoptosis. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 68:383-424.
  
• Thornberry, N. A. 1998. Caspases: key mediators of apoptosis. Chem. Biol. 5:R97-R103.
  
• Wang, K. W. 2000. Calpain and caspase: can you tell the difference? Trends Neurosci. 23:20-26.
  
• Johnson, D. E. 2000. Noncaspase proteases in apoptosis. Leukemia 14:1695-1703.
  
• Leist, M. and M. Jaattela. 2001. Triggering of apoptosis by cathepsins. Cell Death Differ. 8:324-326.
  
• Nicholson, D. W. 1999. Caspase structure, proteolytic substrates, and function during apoptotic cell death. Cell Death Differ. 6:1028-1042.
  
• Reed, J. C. 2000. Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Award Lecture: mechanisms of apoptosis. Am. J. Pathol. 157:1415-1430.