PC12 cells are a useful model system for studying neuronal apoptosis. Like neurons, they undergo apoptosis when deprived of trophic support. Involvement of caspases [interleukin 1โค-converting enzyme (ICE)related proteases] has been implicated in apoptosis induced by various stimuli in many cell types, including neurons. In the present study we investigated the need for caspases participation in apoptosis induced by growth factor deprivation in naive and neuronal PC12 cells. For this purpose we generated PC12 cell lines that consistently express the viral caspases inhibitor genes p35 or crmA, and analyzed their susceptibility to trophic factor deprivation. We also examined the effects of cell-permeable peptide inhibitors of caspases. Our results showed that broad-spectrum inhibitors of the caspases, namely the baculovirus p35 gene and the peptide benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone, effectively inhibit the death of both naive and neuronal PC12 cells. However, caspase-1 (ICE)specific inhibitors, namely the peptides Ac-Try-Val-Ala-Asp-chloromethylketone and Ac-Try-Val-Ala-Aspaldehyde, as well as crmA, were much less effective. These findings demonstrate that caspases, but not caspase-1, are needed for apoptosis induced by trophic factor deprivation in both naive and neuronal PC12 cells. Northern and Western blot analyses showed that PC12 cells express caspase-3. We therefore examined the involvement of caspase-3 in the death process of trophic factor-deprived PC12 cells. Our results showed that the pro-caspase-3 and its substrate poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase are cleaved at similar rates in serum-deprived PC12 cells. Moreover, cell lysates prepared from these cells possess caspase-3-like activity, as determined by their ability to cleave the fluorogenic peptide substrate Ac-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-7amino-4-methylcoumarin. These findings strongly suggest that caspase-3 or caspase-3-like proteases are activated in trophic factor-deprived PC12 cells.