State-of-art methods of apoptosis investigation using flow cytometry

In the process of apoptotic cell death a cell undergoes a number of biochemical changes such as a decrease in the mitochondrial transmembrane potential, Bcl-2 proteins’ activation, loss of lipid asymmetry, increase in plasma membrane permeability, caspases activation, and DNA fragmentation. These biochemical events can be used as markers of the apoptosis induction, can be detected by flow cytometry, and provide reliable information about the earliest stages of programmed cell death. In this review we outlined commonly used methods for apoptotic cell death detection by flow cytometry, molecular mechanisms underlying each method, their advantages and limitations.