Our caspase kits provide a simple assay system for fast and highly sensitive detection of caspase-3 or caspase-8 activity either by fluorescence or absorbance in mammalian cells.

• Fast, sensitive enzyme kinetics
• Enzymatic reaction forms intensely yellow colored and highly green fluorescent rhodamine 110 (R110) product
• Compatible with both fluorometric and colorimetric detection systems
• HTS-compatible kits available: Single-step homogenous assay specifically designed for high-throughput screening (HTS)-based detection.

Kit components: cell lysis buffer, assay buffer, enzyme substrate (Ac-DEVD)2-R110 or (Ac-IETD)2-R110, enzyme inhibitor Ac-DEVD-CHO or Ac-IETD-CHO, R110 (for generating a standard curve for quantifying caspase-3 activity).

Caspase-3 is an active cell-death protease involved in the execution phase of apoptosis, during which cells undergo morphological changes such as DNA fragmentation, chromatin condensation and apoptotic body formation. Our caspase-3 DEVD-R110 kits provide a simple assay system for fast and highly sensitive detection of caspase-3 activity either by fluorescence or absorbance in mammalian cells. The fluorogenic and chromogenic substrate (Ac-DEVD)2-R110 contains two DEVD tetrapeptides and is completely hydrolyzed by the enzyme in two successive steps.

Caspase-8 is the most upstream caspase in the CD95/Fas apoptotic pathway and is activated by the signaling pathways for CD95/Fas and TNF. Our caspase-8 kits provide a simple assay system for fast and sensitive detection of caspase-8 activity either by fluorescence or absorbance. The substrate (Ac-IETD)2-R110 contains two IETD tetrapeptides and is completely hydrolyzed by the enzyme in a two-step process.

Although fluorometric detection of the end products is preferred because of the superior sensitivity, detection by absorbance is also possible. In fact, the extinction coefficient of R110 is 10 times higher than that of p-nitroaniline (pNA), a dye commonly used in chromogenic substrates, making R110-based substrates significantly more sensitive than pNA-based substrates, even by colorimetric detection.