Measurement of Apoptosis by DNA Fragmentation -- Measurement of Caspase Activity in Cells Undergoing Apoptosis -- Flow Cytometry-Based Methods for Apoptosis Detection in Lymphoid Cells -- Methods of Analyzing Chromatin Changes Accompanying Apoptosis of Target Cells in Killer Cell Assays -- Detecting and Quantifying Apoptosis in Tissue Sections -- Immunoassay for Single-Stranded DNA in Apoptotic Cells -- Methods to Measure Membrane Potential and Permeability Transition in the Mitochondria During Apoptosis -- Measurement of Changes in Intracellular Calcium During Apoptosis -- Measurement of Changes in Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Regulatory Kinase Cdk2 -- Assays to Measure Stress-Activated MAPK Activity -- Methods for Culturing Primary Sympathetic Neurons and for Determining Neuronal Viability -- Immunocytochemical Techniques for Studying Apoptosis in Primary Sympathetic Neurons -- Measuring Programmed Cell Death in Plants -- Detection of Apoptosis in Drosophila -- Measurement of Apoptotic Cell Clearance In Vitro -- Yeast Two-Hybrid Screening for Proteins Interacting With the Anti-Apoptotic Protein A20 -- The Yeast Three-Hybrid System As a Tool to Study Caspases -- Cloning of Apoptosis-Related Genes by Representational Difference Analysis of cDNA -- Identification of Apoptosis Regulatory Genes Using Insertional Mutagenesis.

The ability to detect and quantify apoptosis, to understand its biochemistry, and to identify its regulatory genes and proteins is crucial to biomedical research in the 21st century. In Apoptosis Methods and Protocols, highly experienced researchers in the field of apoptosis describe in step-by-step detail the techniques they have perfected to investigate the critical steps involved in the apoptotic process. These readily reproducible methods range from flow cytometry and immunohistochemical procedures to kinase activity assays, yeast two-hybrid screening, and the cloning of novel genes by differential expression. The protocols follow the successful Methods in Molecular Biology™ series format, each one offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principle behind the technique, lists of equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. State-of-the-art and highly practical, Apoptosis Methods and Protocols constitutes a key technical reference to the significant methodologies used in the field, as well as offering novice and experienced researchers alike powerful tools to illuminate the phenomenon of programmed cell death.