Unique spectral signatures of the nucleic acid dye acridine orange can distinguish cell death by apoptosis and necroptosis

Abstract

Plemel et al. use a spectrally sensitive nucleic acid dye, acridine orange, to demonstrate a loss of RNA early during cell death. Acridine orange can also be used to distinguish apoptosis from necrosis/necroptosis in vitro and in fixed tissue samples.

Mechanisms of lysophosphatidylcholine‐induced demyelination: A primary lipid disrupting myelinopathy

“…Cell death in vitro was associated with membrane permeability changes suggesting necrotic cell death. We also find that cell death after LPC injection into spinal cord white matter has the morphological appearance of necrosis based on nucleotide localization using spectral microscopy (Plemel et al, 2017a).…”

Network pharmacology combined with functional metabolomics discover bile acid metabolism as a promising target for mirabilite against colorectal cancer

“…33 The changes of apoptosis-related proteins in IPA reected the function of nucleic acids. 34 DNA topoisomerase I (Top I) is the target of several medicinal compounds against CRC, such as camptothecins and indolocarbazoles, 35 which function by suppressing the proliferation of tumor cells. 36 It is known that Top I forms 3 0 -phosphoric acid tyrosine ester bonds and 5 0 -hydroxyl groups by nucleophilic attack of the phosphoric acid two bond lying in a single-stranded DNA, then the broken single strand revolves around DNA, unscrews the positive superhelix state, and continues to copy the DNA, which is essential for DNA replication and transcription.…”

Conserved nucleolar stress at the onset of cell death

“…Acridine orange staining showed cellular RNA decrease during necrotic, necroptotic, and apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, in apoptosis, cells with low levels of cytoplasmic RNA were detected earlier than through TUNEL labeling and cleaved caspase 3 immunofluorescence .…”