Rona J. Mogil

TL;DR: This work shows that the Fas/CD95 receptor, which can transduce a potent apoptotic signal when ligated, is rapidly expressed following activation of T-cell hybridomas, as is its functional, membrane-bound ligand8.

TL;DR: This chapter describes cell death assays that are based on the observation that apoptosis is accompanied by DNA fragmentation, either into the classical “ladder” pattern of 200 bp integer multiples, 50kb fragments, or single-stranded DNA cleavage.

TL;DR: Experiments on peripheral deletion in mice carrying the lpr/lpr defect, which has been shown to be due to defective production of the CD95/Fas molecule, suggest that cells with the highest levels of Fas are preferentially deleted.

TL;DR: Using genetically engineered mice deficient in the aSMase gene (aSMase−/−), it is found that thymocytes, concanavalin A-activated T cells, and lipopolysaccharide-activated B cells derived from both aSMases were equally sensitive to Fas-mediated cell death, triggered by either anti-Fas antibody or Fas ligand in vitro.

TL;DR: An essential role for DNA fragmentation as an irreversible step in activation-induced apoptosis in T cell hybridomas and during T cell development is supported, in which inhibition of DNA fragmentation does not prevent loss of cell viability.