Caspase-1 Inhibitor Drug Screening Kit (Fluorometric)

Caspases (Cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed proteases) are a family of cysteine proteases that play important roles in apoptosis, inflammation and necrosis. Sequential activation of caspases plays an important role in cell apoptosis. Inhibition of caspases can delay apoptosis, indicating a potential role in drug screening efforts. Caspase-1 is an interleukin-1 converting enzyme that proteolytically cleaves the precursor forms of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin 18 and interleukin 1β into active forms. Caspase 1 can induce cell necrosis or pyroptosis. 

 The Caspase-1 Inhibitor Drug Screening Kit (Fluorometric) provides a simple, fast and convenient way for screening of caspase-1 inhibitors based on fluorometric method. The synthetic peptide substrate YVAD-AFC (AFC: 7-amino-4-trifluoromethyl coumarin) emits blue light (λmax = 400 nm); while cleavage of YVAD-AFC by active caspase-1 or related caspases, free AFC emits a yellow-green fluorescence (λmax = 505 nm), which can be quantified by a fluorecence microtiter plate reader or a fluorometer. Inhibitors to be screened can be directly added to the reaction and the efficacy of inhibition of caspase-1 activity can be determined by comparison of the fluorescence intensity in samples without and with the testing inhibitors.