Activity assays for receptor-interacting protein kinase 1:a key regulator of necroptosis

Abstract

Necroptosis is a novel form of regulated non-apoptotic cell death, which displays morphological features of necrosis. The kinase activity of receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIP1) is a critical component in signaling for necroptosis. The development of assays to evaluate RIP1 kinase activity is important in the further development of existing and novel inhibitors of necroptosis. Here, we describe RIP1 protein expression and purification from mammalian and insect cells as well as two in vitro kinase assays to detect RIP1 kinase activity and inhibition.