USA) containing 1% protease inhibitor cocktail and 2% phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride.
Detection of Cyto C release from mitochondria to cytoplasm was performed using
cytoplasmic extracts prepared as described previously (23 (link)). The supernatants were collected, and protein concentrations
were determined by the Bradford method. Proteins were separated using 12% sodium
dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and transferred
electrophoretically onto nitrocellulose membranes (Bio Basic, USA). The transferred
membranes were then blotted with antibodies as follows: phospho-ERKs (P-ERKs),
total-ERKs (T-ERKs), phosphor-AKT (P-AKT), total-AKT (T-AKT), Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved
caspase 3, Cyto C, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (all 1:1,000; Cell
Signaling, USA) at 4°C overnight, followed by treatment with horseradish
peroxidase-conjugated secondary antibodies (Santa Cruz Biotechnology, USA). The
signals were detected with enhanced chemiluminescence detection kits (GE Healthcare,
UK). The intensities of the bands were quantified with scanning densitometry using
the Quantity One 4.5.0 software (Bio-Rad).