An interleukin‐1β‐converting enzyme‐like protease is a common mediator of apoptosis in thymocytes

FEBS Letters

Dinsdale, David¹  Fearnhead, Howard O.¹  Cohen, Gerald M.¹ 

[1] MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Leicester, PO Box 138, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE1 9HN UK

关键词: Poly (ADP)-ribose polymerase;    Z-VAD.FMK;    Thymocyte;    Apoptosis;    ICE inhibitor;   

DOI  :  10.1016/0014-5793(95)01228-7

学科分类：生物化学/生物物理

来源: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

【 摘 要 】

Apoptosis was induced in thymocytes using diverse stimuli in order to identify events within a common apoptotic pathway. Benzyloxycarbonyl-valinyl-alaninyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone (Z-VAD.FMK), an interleukin-1β-converting enzyme (ICE)-like protease inhibitor, inhibited apoptosis assessed by flow cytometry, proteolysis of poly (ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP), an early biochemical marker of apoptosis, and cleavage of DNA to both large kilobase pair fragments.(30–50 and 200–300 kbp) and to nucleosomal fragments. Z-VAD.FMK also blocked all the classical ultrastructural features of apoptosis including chromatin condensation to one pole of the nucleus, nucleolar disintegration and cytoplasmic vacuolation. These results suggest the involvement of an ICE-like protease as a common mediator of apoptosis in thymocytes.

【 授权许可】

Unknown