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In situ visualization of caspase‐1‐like activity associated with promotion of hippocampal cell death
Author(s) -
Nishii Wataru,
Shoda Takuji,
Matsumoto Nagisa,
Nakamura Takeshi,
Kudo Yoshihisa,
Takahashi Kenji
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(02)02687-x
Subject(s) - programmed cell death , hippocampal formation , microbiology and biotechnology , caspase , extracellular , cell , proteases , caspase 3 , biology , apoptosis , neuroscience , chemistry , biochemistry , enzyme
To clarify the function of caspase‐1‐like proteases in neuronal cell death, it is important to be able to detect the activity in living organs by microscopic visualization. In the present study, we synthesized a novel fluorescent substrate sensitive to the caspase‐1‐like activity, which is easily introduced into cells constituting living organs by extracellular application. As a result, the substrate was shown to be useful in imaging the caspase‐1‐like activity in rat hippocampal slice cultures. After induction of cell death with glutamate, a significant increase in the activity was observed, especially in the pyramidal cells, suggesting the association of the activity with promotion of cell death.