Molecular Characterization of the Proapoptotic Protein Bax -- Assessing Cytochrome-c Release from Mitochondria -- Monitoring Caspases in Neuronal Cell Death -- HSV Amplicon Vectors in Neuronal Apoptosis Studies -- Microinjections to Study the Specific Role of Proapoptotic Proteins in Neurons -- Designing Microarray Experiments for Neurobiology -- Analysis of Gene Expression by Nylon Membrane cDNA Arrays -- Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate Dehydrogenase as a Target for Antiapoptotic Drugs -- Analytical Approaches for Investigating Apoptosis and Other Biochemical Events in Compartmented Cultures of Sympathetic Neurons -- Detection and Analysis of Synaptosis -- In Situ Detection of Apoptotic Neurons -- Apoptotic and Oxidative Indicators in Alzheimer's Disease.

The study of the apoptotic process has grown exponentially since the publication of the first edition of Apoptosis Techniques and Protocols for the Neuromethods series in 1997. In this greatly updated second edition, seasoned experts describe in step-by-step detail their best state-of-the-art techniques for studying neuronal cell death. These readily reproducible methods solve a wide variety of research problems, including the detection of the key proteins involved in neuronal apoptosis (Bax protein, cytochrome-c, and caspases), the direct assessment of the role of pro-apoptotic proteins in neurons by viral infections and microinjections, and the detection of proapoptotic proteins in situ. There are also hands-on methods for the study of apoptosis mechanisms in neuronal compartments, for studying synaptosis, and for establishing gene expression profiles in neurodegenerative brain tissues by using DNA microarrays. Written by investigators who have used the techniques extensively, each protocol includes tips on avoiding pitfalls, notes on the method's advantages and disadvantages, and a critical survey of the literature. Cutting-edge and highly practical, Apoptosis Techniques and Protocols, Second Edition, offers both novice and seasoned investigators a rich panoply of the productive tools they need to unravel the molecular mechanisms of neuronal cell death.