ELISAs for Quantification of Bcl-2 Family Activities and Active Caspases

Enzyme-linked imM unosorbent assays (ELISAs) have long been used to quantify cytokines and other proteins that are secreted from cells. ELISAs enable the user to assay multiple samples, to obtain reproducible quantitative results, and to design studies with quantifiable endpoints. Intracellular activities intimately involved in apoptosis, such as control of mitochondrial permeability to holocytochrome c and activation of a specific caspase, are quantified by the ELISAs described in this chapter. The cytochrome c ELISA is generally used to quantify the activities of the proteins belonging to the Bcl-2 family. The active caspase ELISA quantifies a specific active caspase among a background of latent caspase and other active caspases.