In this revised and expanded second edition, seasoned experts describe in step-by-step detail their best state-of-the-art techniques for studying neuronal cell death. These readily reproducible methods solve a wide variety of research problems, including the detection of the key proteins involved in neuronal apoptosis (Bax protein, cytochrome c, and caspases), the direct assessment of the role of pro-apoptotic proteins in neurons by viral infections and microinjections, and the detection of pro-apoptotic proteins in situ. There are also hands-on methods for the study of apoptosis mechanisms...

The need to better understand the molecular, b- chemical, and cellular processes by which a developing neuronal system unfolds has led to the development of a unique set of experimental tools and organisms. Special emphasis was devoted to allowing us access, at the ear- est stages, to the genomic basis underlying the system s ultimate complexity, as exhibited once its structures are fully formed. Yet, nerve cells are anatomically, physiolo- cally, and biochemically diverse. The multitude of d- tinctly different routes for their development thus makes the developing nervous system especially...