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Caspase-2 Protocols

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Caspases,Paracaspases, and Metacaspases

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1133))

Abstract

Caspase-2 has been shown to function in apoptosis and in some non-apoptotic pathways, including tumor suppression and aging. Caspase-2 has some unique features and is the only caspase that constitutively localizes to the nucleus, although its nuclear function remains unknown. During apoptosis signaling, caspase-2 rapidly homodimerizes, which leads to its activation and proteolytic processing. The activation of caspase-2 can be measured by assessing its dimerization and/or cleavage of the caspase-2 zymogen and its substrates. This chapter outlines commonly used methods to purify recombinant caspase-2 and assess its activity and function in vitro and in cultured cells or tissue extracts.

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Acknowledgments

The financial support of the National Health and Medical Research Council through project grants 1021456 and 1043057 is gratefully acknowledged. LD is supported by a South Australian Cancer Research Collaborative Fellowship and SK by an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellowship (1002863).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology, Adelaide, Australia

    Loretta Dorstyn & Sharad Kumar

  2. Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

    Loretta Dorstyn & Sharad Kumar

Authors
  1. Loretta Dorstyn
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  2. Sharad Kumar
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Plant Biology & Forest Genetics, Swedish Univ of Agricultural Sciences Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Uppsala, Sweden

    Peter V. Bozhkov

  2. Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Inst. Apoptosis & Cell Death Research Prgm, La Jolla, California, USA

    Guy Salvesen

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Dorstyn, L., Kumar, S. (2014). Caspase-2 Protocols. In: V. Bozhkov, P., Salvesen, G. (eds) Caspases,Paracaspases, and Metacaspases. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1133. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0357-3_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0357-3_4

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-0356-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-0357-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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