Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:43:00 BST CiteULike: jyuh Arnoult http://www.citeulike.org/user/jyuh/author/Arnoult CiteULike.org en-gb Copyright © 2004-2008 citeulike.org http://www.citeulike.org/user/jyuh/article/2784504 <i>Methods (San Diego, Calif.), Vol. 44, No. 3. (March 2008), pp. 229-234.</i><br /><br />Following most cell death signals, pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 members as Bax and Bak are activated and oligomerize into the mitochondria outer membrane, triggering its permeabilization and release into the cytosol of soluble apoptogenic factors such as cytochrome c involved in caspase activation. Thus, in many studies focused on apoptosis, cytochrome c release within cells is frequently examined to assess Bax/Bak activation and mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization. In addition, cytochrome c release can also be investigated in vitro in functional mitochondria that have been isolated from cultured cells, offering a number of advantages. Here, protocols for measuring cytochrome c release from intact cells as well as from isolated mitochondria is detailed. Finally, assays to investigate Bax/Bak activation and olimerization are also presented. Apoptosis-associated mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization assays. D Arnoult doi:10.1016/j.ymeth.2007.11.003 Methods (San Diego, Calif.), Vol. 44, No. 3. (March 2008), pp. 229-234. 2008-05-11T14:37:20-00:00 2008 Methods (San Diego, Calif.) 1046-2023 44 3 229 234 no-tag