Detection Kit Measures Apoptosis

It is essential for normal development and homeostasis. Deregulation of apoptosis is an indication of various pathologies, including cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and AIDS.

Apoptosis requires activation of various proteases and nucleases which ultimately lead to cell suicide. For example, nuclease activation by apoptotic stimuli, such as serum deprivation of LPS (lipolysaccharide), cleaves naked double-stranded DNA resulting in mono- and oligo-nucleosomal fragments that cannot be further processed due to the DNA/histone complex of nucleosomes. These fragments were traditionally detected by gel electrophoresis of DNA samples, which is a qualitative but non-quantitative method that requires large amounts of sample and an "all or none” stimuli.

The cell-death detection kit was developed by Roche (Basel, Switzerland). Called Elisaplus, it detects nucleosomes in the cytoplasm of cells prior to disintegration of the plasma membrane. It qualitatively and quantitatively detects the amount of cleaved DNA/histone complexes (nucleosomes) in a given sample using an ELISA sandwich-enbased method.

The Elisaplus kit complements other standard apoptotic assays such as caspase enzymatic assays and immunoblotting, and can replace DNA ladder gels.



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