It can be useful to explore the caspase activation process in an in vitro setting. In this protocol, cytosolic extracts prepared from cell culture are incubated with cytochrome c and adenosine triphosphate (dATP), leading to the oligomerization of apoptotic protease activating factor-1 (APAF-1) and the formation of the apoptosome. The apoptosome serves as an activation platform for caspase-9, which binds to the apoptosome through heterodimeric caspase recruitment domain (CARD) interactions and then dimerizes. This leads to cleavage of the executioner, caspase-3. These extracts contain highly active caspases that can be analyzed using a variety of biochemical assays.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/pdb.prot080275 | DOI Listing |
Microorganisms
January 2025
Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milano, Italy.
Oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) affects the aging process and increases the likelihood of several diseases. A new frontier in its prevention includes bioactive foods and natural extracts that can be introduced by the diet in combination with specific probiotics. Among the natural compounds that we can introduce by the diet, extract is one of the most utilized since it contains a vast number of bioactive molecules such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and polysaccharides that have been shown to possess antioxidant, anti-ageing, anti-cancer, and immunomodulatory activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWorld J Oncol
February 2025
The First Clinical Medical School, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China.
Background: Thymidine kinases (TKs) are key enzymes involved in DNA synthesis and repair, with alterations in their expression associated with various cancers. Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) and TK2 are cytosolic enzyme proteins that catalyze the addition of a gamma-phosphate group to thymidine. The existing literature on TK1 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC) fails to address the clinical role of TK1 overexpression and its possible molecular mechanism in CESC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOsteoarthr Cartil Open
March 2025
Department of Regeneration Sciences and Engineering, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan.
Objective: Osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease, requires innovative therapies due to the limited ability of cartilage to regenerate. Since mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) provide a cell source for chondrogenic cells, we hypothesize that chemicals capable of enhancing the chondrogenic potential of MSCs with transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) in vitro may similarly promote chondrogenesis in articular cartilage in vivo.
Design: Chemical compounds that enhance the TGFβ signaling for chondrogenesis were investigated utilizing mesenchymal stem cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells.
Sci Rep
January 2025
Department of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Gazwa, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by immune dysregulation and excessive cytokine production. This study aimed to explore the potential of Camellia sinensis L. water extract (CSE) as a treatment for AD by the impact of CSE on inflammatory responses in keratinocytes, particularly concerning the production of inflammatory cytokines and the modulation of signaling pathways relevant to AD pathogenesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEcotoxicol Environ Saf
January 2025
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, PR China. Electronic address:
Cigarette smoke (CS) has detrimental effects on placental growth and embryo development, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the impact of CS on trophoblast cell proliferation and regulated cell death (RCD) by examining its interference with iron-sulfur cluster (ISC) proteins and the CIA pathway. Exposure to CS disrupted the cytosolic ISC assembly (CIA) pathway, downregulated ISC proteins, and decreased ISC maturation in the placenta of rats exposed to passive smoking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!