Cell Disassembly Reagent

Caspases (Cystolic Asparate-Specific Proteases) are responsible for the deliberate disassembly of a cell into apoptotic bodies and are present in most cells as latent emzymes. They are recruited to receptor-associated cytosolic complexes whose formation is initiated by receptor oligomerization and to other cytoplasmic adaptor proteins. Recruitment to oligomerized receptors leads to activation via dimerization or dimerization accompanied by autoproteolytic cleavage. The product in active form can proteolyze additional caspases, generating a cascade that cleaves proteins critical for cell survival.

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