Biotin-VAD-FMK is a cell permeable, irreversible biotin-labeled caspase inhibitor, used to identify active caspases in cell lysates.

Biotin-VAD-FMK is a synthetic peptide designed as a methyl ester to facilitate cell permeability.

To examine whether caspase-2 is activated in the absence of proteolytic cleavage, an in vivo affinity labeling approach is used, using the biotinylated caspase inhibitor biotin-VAD-fmk that detects only active caspases^[2].

• [1]. Li J, et al. Nitric oxide suppresses apoptosis via interrupting caspase activation and mitochondrial dysfunction in cultured hepatocytes. J Biol Chem. 1999 Jun 11;274(24):17325-33.

  [2]. Samraj AK, et al. Loss of caspase-9 reveals its essential role for caspase-2 activation and mitochondrial membranedepolarization. Mol Biol Cell. 2007 Jan;18(1):84-93.