Detection of pro-caspase-3 in cytosol and mitochondria of various tissues.
Caspases are a family of cysteine proteases of critical importance in the apoptotic cell death process. They are normally present as zymogens (pro-caspases) in the cytoplasm of vertebrate and other organisms. In this study we have shown that pro-caspase-3 is localized to cytosol and mitochondria of various rat tissues (brain, heart, kidney, liver, spleen and thymus). Although the majority of pro-caspase-3 was localized in the cytosol, the amount of mitochondrial pro-caspase-3 was significant. The ratio of cytosolic and mitochondrial pools of pro-caspase-3 appeared to vary between different tissues. The higher amount of mitochondrial pro-caspase-3 was found in thymus and spleen, i.e. tissues in which spontaneous apoptosis plays an important role. Our findings provide further support for mitochondrial localization of pro-caspase-3 and the critical role of this organelle in apoptosis.
Institute of Environmental Medicine, Division of Toxicology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Samali
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Zhivotovsky
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Jones
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Orrenius
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000201:enzymology*; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D004792:Enzyme Precursors; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases