Caspase-9 Antibody (Mouse Specific) detects endogenous levels of both full length mouse caspase-9 (49 kDa) and the large fragment of mouse caspase-9 resulting from cleavage at aspartic acid 353 (37 kDa) and/or aspartic acid 368 (39 kDa). The antibody does not cross-react other caspases.
Source / Purification
Polyclonal antibodies are produced by immunizing animals with a synthetic peptide corresponding to residues surrounding the cleavage site of mouse caspase-9. Antibodies are purified by protein A and peptide affinity chromatography.
Background
Caspase-9 (ICE-LAP6, Mch6) is an important member of the cysteine aspartic acid protease (caspase) family (1,2). Upon apoptotic stimulation, cytochrome c released from mitochondria associates with the 47 kDa procaspase-9/Apaf 1. Apaf-1 mediated activation of caspase-9 involves instrinsic proteolytic processing resulting in cleavage at Asp315 and producing a p35 subunit. Additional cleavage occurs at Asp330 producing a p37 subunit that can serve to amplify the apoptotic response (3-6). Cleaved caspase-9 further processes other caspase members, including caspase-3 and caspase-7, to initiate a caspase cascade, which leads to apoptosis (7-10).