THE DETERGENT TRITON X-100 INDUCES A DEATH PATTERN IN HUMAN CARCINOMACELL-LINES THAT RESEMBLES CYTOTOXIC LYMPHOCYTE-INDUCED APOPTOSIS

The detergent Triton X-100 (TX100) was used with the intention to esta blish a model for necrotic cell death. However, TX100 was found to ind uce apoptotic and necrotic death in prostate and colon cancer cell lin es. Apoptosis was characterized by the typical morphologicaI features and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. The rapid onset within 60 min and the lack of inhibition by cycloheximide indicated that apoptosis i nduced by TX100 was not dependent on protein synthesis. Removal of ext racellular calcium blocked internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. This pa ttern of cell death shows a striking similarity to the effect of cytot oxic lymphocytes on their target cells.