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ApoSight™ Green Caspase 3/7 substrate

ApoSight™ Green Caspase 3/7 substrate is the first fluorogenic probe for the direct fluorescence imaing of caspase activities in live cells. It consists of three moieties including a). a masked fluorophore, b). a caspase-selective peptide fragment (DEVD), and c). a cell-penetrating moiety. The cell-penetrating moiety carries the probe into live cells. Upon entering live cells, the caspase-selective peptide fragment is cleaved by a caspase to release the masked fluorophore. The intensity of recovered fluorescence is directly related to the activity of the caspase 3/7 to be measured. Compared to the existing caspase assays in live cells, ApoSight™ Green Caspase 3/7 substrate is much more robust, convenient, and accurate. ApoSight™ Green Caspase 3/7 substrate releases a fluorophore that has Ex/Em ~490/520 nm. It does not need a DNA interaction to be fluorescent as reported for NucView reagents. It does not inhibit caspase activity as reported for the FMK peptide probes. Although fluorescent FMK peptide inhibitors of caspases are widely used for detecting caspase activities in live cells, this technology has a few severe limitations: a). FMK caspase inhibitors have high cytotoxicity since FMK peptides bind covalently to active caspases; b). The irreversible covalent binding of FMK peptides to caspases inhibits caspase activities, causing false positive apoptosis; c). FMK assays have extremely high background, and require intensive washings, resulting in extremely low throughput; d). FMK peptides are not stable in aqueous solutions and must be used immediately. ApoSight™ Green Caspase 3/7 substrate can be performed in a convenient 96-well or 384-well microtiter-plate format and easily adapted to automation.

Example protocol

AT A GLANCE

Protocol summary
  1. Prepare cells with test compounds at a density of 5 × 104 to 2 × 105 cells/100 µL/well for 96-well plate
  2. Add equal volume of ApoSight™ Caspase 3/7 Substrate working solution
  3. Incubate in a 5% CO2 incubator at 37 °C for 60 minutes
  4. Wash the cells 1-2 time with HHBS
  5. Analyze the cells with flow cytometer with 530/30 nm filter (FITC channel) or with fluorescence microscope with FITC filter set 

CELL PREPARATION

For guidelines on cell sample preparation, please visit https://www.aatbio.com/resources/guides/cell-sample-preparation.html

PREPARATION OF STOCK SOLUTIONS

Unless otherwise noted, all unused stock solutions should be divided into single-use aliquots and stored at -20 °C after preparation. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles.

ApoSight™ Green Caspase 3/7 Substrate stock solution (200X)
Add 50 µL of DMSO into the vial of ApoSight™ Green Caspase 3/7 Substrate to make 200X ApoSight™ Green Caspase 3/7 Substrate stock solution.
Note     Aliquot in single use aliquots to avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycle. Protect from light.

PREPARATION OF WORKING SOLUTION

ApoSight™ Green Caspase 3/7 Substrate working solution
Prepare ApoSight™ Green Caspase 3/7 Substrate working solution by mixing 5 µL of 200X ApoSight™ Green Caspase 3/7 Substrate stock solution with 1 mL of Hanks and 20 mM Hepes buffer (HHBS, Cat# 20011) or buffer of your choice and mix well.
Note     100 µL of ApoSight™ Green Caspase 3/7 Substrate working solution is enough for 10 tests in a 96-well plate format.
Note     Prepare enough ApoSight™ Green Caspase 3/7 Substrate working solution right before the experiment, and use promptly.

SAMPLE EXPERIMENTAL PROTOCOL

Examples for inducing apoptosis in suspension culture
Treat Jurkat cells with 2 μg/mL camptothecin for 3 hours
Treat Jurkat cells with 1 μM staurosporine for 3-4 hours
Treat HL-60 cells with 4 μg/mL camptothecin for 4 hours
Treat HL-60 cells with 1 μM staurosporine for 4 hours.
Note     Each cell line should be evaluated on an individual basis to determine the optimal cell density for apoptosis induction.


Sample protocol for Fluorescence Microscopy
  1. Prepare cells with test compounds at a density of 5 × 104 to 2 × 105 cells/100 µL/well/96-well plate.
  2. Add equal volume of Caspase 3/7 Substrate working solution to the cells (100 µL/well/96 well-plate).
  3. Incubate in a 5% CO2 incubator at 37 °C for 60 minutes.
  4. Wash cells 1-2 times with HHBS or buffer of your choice.
  5. Image with a fluorescence microscope using a FITC filter set. 

Sample protocol for Flow Cytometry
  1. Add 200 X ApoSight™ Green Caspase 3/7 Substrate stock solution into the cell solution at a 1:200 ratio, and incubate the cells in a 5% CO2 incubator at 37 °C for 60 minutes.
    Note     The cells can be concentrated up to ~5 X 106 cells/mL for ApoSight™ Green Caspase 3/7 Substrate labeling. The appropriate incubation time depends on the individual cell type and cell concentration used.
  2. Monitor the fluorescence intensity with a flow cytometer using 530/30 nm filter (FITC channel).
    Note     To increase the signal/background ratio, spin down the cells at ~200 g for 5 minutes, wash cells with 1 mL washing buffer such as HHBS or buffer of your choice ones, and resuspend the cells in the desired amount of washing. 

Spectrum

References

View all 4 references: Citation Explorer
Cell culture conditions affect the ability of high content imaging assay to detect drug-induced changes in cellular parameters in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs).
Authors: Balasubramanian, Bharathi and Belak, Vaclav and Verma, Isha and Prysiazhniuk, Yeva and Sannajust, Frederick and Trepakova, Elena S
Journal: Toxicology reports (2019): 305-320
In- and ex-vivo molecular imaging of apoptosis to assess sensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer to EGFR inhibitors using probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy.
Authors: Guisier, Florian and Bohn, Pierre and Patout, Maxime and Piton, Nicolas and Farah, Insaf and Vera, Pierre and Thiberville, Luc and Salaün, Mathieu
Journal: PloS one (2017): e0180576
Polyphenols act synergistically with doxorubicin and etoposide in leukaemia cell lines.
Authors: Mahbub, A A and Le Maitre, C L and Haywood-Small, S L and Cross, N A and Jordan-Mahy, N
Journal: Cell death discovery (2015): 15043
Monitoring cleaved caspase-3 activity and apoptosis of immortalized oligodendroglial cells using live-cell imaging and cleaveable fluorogenic-dye substrates following potassium-induced membrane depolarization.
Authors: Smith, Graham S T and Voyer-Grant, Janine A M and Harauz, George
Journal: Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE (2012)
Page updated on November 19, 2024

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Catalog Number13290
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Physical properties

Molecular weight

1290.61

Solvent

DMSO

Spectral properties

Extinction coefficient (cm -1 M -1)

80000

Excitation (nm)

500

Emission (nm)

522

Storage, safety and handling

H-phraseH303, H313, H333
Hazard symbolXN
Intended useResearch Use Only (RUO)
R-phraseR20, R21, R22

Storage

Freeze (< -15 °C); Minimize light exposure
UNSPSC12171501

Platform

Flow cytometer

Excitation488 nm laser
Emission530, 30 nm filter
Instrument specification(s)FITC channel

Fluorescence microscope

ExcitationFITC filter set
EmissionFITC filter set
Recommended plateBlack wall, clear bottom
The detection of caspase 3/7 activity in Jurkat cells with ApoSight&trade; Green Caspase 3/7 substrate. Jurkat cells (200,000 cells/well/ 96-well plate) were treated with 1 &mu;M Staurosporine or DMSO for 4 hours. Cells were incubated with Caspase 3/7 Substrate working solution at 37&deg;C for 1 hour. Images were taken with a fluorescence microscope using a FITC filter set.
The detection of caspase 3/7 activity in Jurkat cells with ApoSight&trade; Green Caspase 3/7 substrate. Jurkat cells (200,000 cells/well/ 96-well plate) were treated with 1 &mu;M Staurosporine or DMSO for 4 hours. Cells were incubated with Caspase 3/7 Substrate working solution at 37&deg;C for 1 hour. Images were taken with a fluorescence microscope using a FITC filter set.
The detection of caspase 3/7 activity in Jurkat cells with ApoSight&trade; Green Caspase 3/7 substrate. Jurkat cells (200,000 cells/well/ 96-well plate) were treated with 1 &mu;M Staurosporine or DMSO for 4 hours. Cells were incubated with Caspase 3/7 Substrate working solution at 37&deg;C for 1 hour. Images were taken with a fluorescence microscope using a FITC filter set.