Application of a FRET probe for Caspase-3 activation in living HeLa cells by sequentially treated cisplatin and TRAIL

Caspase-3 is a kind of cysteine proteases that plays an important role in cell apoptosis. We have constructed a FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) probe fused with ECFP (enhanced cyan fluorescence protein) and DsRed (Discosoma red fluorescent protein) with a linker containing a caspase-3 cleavage sequence (CCS, DEVD). It could be observed much change in fluorescence emission ratio when the probe was cleaved by caspase-3. Therefore, application of this probe we can real-time detected the activation of caspase-3. It was already confirmed that caspase-3 was activated in HeLa cells treated by cisplatin or TRAIL (Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand). In the present study, we detected the activation of caspase-3 during cisplatin or TRAIL induced apoptosis in living HeLa cells, and also observed the activation of caspase-3 caused by both cisplatin and TRAIL combined treatment. Our results demonstrated a synergistic effect between cisplatin and TRAIL. Cisplatin is one of the most broadly used drugs in the Clinical applications of cancer chemotherapy, and TRAIL which belongs to the TNF family proteins, can selectively induce apoptosis in many transformed cells but not in normal cells. Therefore, TRAIL is a very valuably prospective utility as its potential tumor-specific cancer therapeutic. Most of anticancer drugs can induce apoptosis which mediated by the activation of caspase pathway. We can select the best synergistic effect group by our FRET probe. This finding would be useful in the design of treatment modalities for patients.