Apoptosis Detection Kits & Reagents

R&D Systems offers a variety of apoptosis-related reagents including proteins, antibodies, ELISA/Activity Assays, Caspase Inhibitors, and Primer Pairs. Tools are available to study Bcl-2 family members, the TNF superfamily, Caspases, Cytochrome c, IAPs, Granzymes, and more. Also available are kits to assess DNA fragmentation (TUNEL, DNA Laddering, Comet Assay), Caspase activation, phosphatidylserine in the outer leaflet, PARP activity, mitochondrial membrane potential, and cell viability/proliferation.

Apoptosis Reagents

• Bioactive Proteins/Enzymes
• Antibodies
• DuoSet® IC ELISA/Assay Development Kits
• Complete Quantikine® ELISA Development Kits
• Caspase Inhibitors
• Primer Pairs
• mRNA Quantitation Kits
• Supplemental Apoptosis Reagents

Apoptosis Detection Kits

DNA Fragmentation

• Comet Assay™
  Cells are immobilized on a slide in a bed of low melting point agarose and gently lysed and treated with alkali to unwind and denature the DNA. The samples are electrophoresed, stained, and visualized by fluorescence or light microscopy. Evidence of a "comet tail" shape and migration pattern indicates DNA Damage.
• DNA Laddering Kits
  Internucleosomal cleavage of DNA is a hallmark of apoptosis and can be assessed using Gel Electrophoresis with R&D Systems' colorimetric, ethidium bromide, luminescent, and isotope-based kits. Tissue supplement is also available.
• TUNEL Labeling Kits
  Apoptotic cells can be detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). R&D Systems offers kits designed for several different formats and optimized for several specific tissue types.

Caspase Activity

• Caspase Colorimetric Activity Assays
  Caspase Fluorometric Activity Assays
  Microplate-based fluorometric and colorimetric assays for measuring Caspase activity in cell lysates.
• ApoStat (FITC-VD-FMK)
  ApoStat is designed to identify and quantitate caspase activity in apoptotic cells by flow cytometry. Cells undergoing apoptosis are labeled with a cell permeable, FITC-conjugated pan caspase inhibitor (ApoStat). Any unbound reagent diffuses out of the cell and is washed away. Cells are then analyzed by flow cytometry for the presence of bound reagent. Increased fluorescence is an indicator of caspase activity within individual cells.

Phosphatidylserine in the outer leaflet (Annexin V)

• Annexin V Kits
  Early in the apoptotic process, cell surface phospholipid asymmetry is disrupted leading to the exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS) on the outer leaflet of the cell membrane. Annexin V preferentially binds PS and can be used as an early indicator of apoptosis using either colorimetric or fluorescence-based detection.

PARP Activity/Inhibition

• PARP Universal Colorimetric Assay
  This assay allows for the measurment of Polymerase (PARP) activity can be used to determine whether DNA is damaged, or to test for PARP inhibition. Cleavage of PARP inactivates the enzyme and is an indicator of apoptosis.
  Format: Scintillation counting; [32P]-NAD (radioisotope is not included)

Mitochondrial Membrane Potential Disruption

• DePsipher™
  Disruption of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential is one of the early intracellular events to occur following induction of apoptosis. DePsipher contains a lipophilic cation that can be used as a mitochondrial activity marker in live cells. The kit can be used to evaluate cellular viability, estimate the effect of drugs or other cytotoxic treatments, or detect early apoptosis in known models using fluorescence microscopy or flow cytometry.

Cell Viability and Proliferation

• MTT Cell Proliferation/Viability Assay
  Cells undergoing apoptosis demonstrate a decrease in their ability to reduce the tetrazolium salt, MTT. This microplate-based assay allows for the safe, sensitive, measurement of cell proliferation and viability. The rate of tetrazolium reduction is proportional to the rate of proliferation.
• XTT Cell Proliferation/Viability Assay
  Cells undergoing apoptosis demonstrate a decrease in their ability to reduce XTT, a yellow tetrazolium salt. XTT is cleaved to a soluble orange formazan dye which can be measured by absorbance on a microplate reader. This microplate-based assay allows for the safe, sensitive measurement of cell proliferation and viability and is ideal for high throughput platforms. The rate of tetrazolium reduction is proportional to the rate of proliferation.