Caspase-3 Antibody [SB71b]

Background:

The caspases are a family of cysteine proteases that induce apoptosis in response to a variety of intra- and extracellular stimuli. These enzymes are synthesized as inactive precursors which become cleaved at aspartate-specific sites upon induction of apoptosis. Caspase-3 is one of the best characterized caspases in terms of specificity and function in apoptosis. It is a ubiquitously expressed protein in mammals and is highly prevalent in cells with lymphocytic origins, indicating a regulatory role in the immune system. Caspase-3 plays a critical role during embryonic development by inducing morphogenetic cell death in the mammalian brain and has also been linked to chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation, and blebbing. The SB71b monoclonal antibody detects endogenous levels of full length caspase-3 (35 kDa) and the large fragment of caspase-3 resulting from cleavage (17 kDa).