Increased surface phosphatidylserine is an early marker of neuronal apoptosis
✍ Scribed by Galia Rimon; Chantal E. Bazenet; Karen L. Philpott; Lee L. Rubin
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1997
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 206 KB
- Volume
- 48
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0360-4012
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Neuronal apoptosis is the subject of intense investigation and is beginning to be understood in some molecular detail. In the present study, we show that PC12 cells, like certain other cell types, redistribute phosphatidylserine (PS) from the inner leaflet to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane early in the process of apoptosis. The externalised PS can be readily visualised by incubating intact cells with a fluorescent derivative of the protein annexin V. When apoptosis is blocked with an inhibitor of interleukin-1b-converting-enzyme-like proteases, the increased annexin binding is also blocked. Fluorescent annexin V binding provides a rapid and convenient way to identify apoptotic neurones.