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caspase; cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase; ICE/CED3 family protease

A family of cysteine proteases. Classification: - caspases can be divided into two classes a) caspases 1,2,4,5,8,10 with long N-terminal prodomains b) caspases 3,6,7,9 with short N-terminal prodomains Function: - mediators of cytokine-induced apoptosis - caspases are formed as a proenzyme with prodomain, a longer subunit and a shorter subunit - proteolytic processing into heterodimeric form is required for enzyme activity - caspase substrates include: - PARP - DNA-PKcs - U1-70k snRNp - hnRNP-C - SREBP - huntingtin - dff-45 - PKC gamma - Rb protein - HDM2/MDM2 - FAK - NuMA - alpha-fodrin - actin - lamins - procaspases - amyloid precursor protein (APP) [4]. * see figure Structure: - homology to interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme [ICE] & C. elegans CED-3 - a conserved QACRG motif is found at the active site of ICE family proteases - a long prodomain may be involved in targeting & regulating activation

Related

caspase activation & recruitment (CARD) domain caspase recruitment domain protein (CARD protein)

Specific

CASP8 & FADD-like apoptosis regulator; cellular FLICE-like inhibitory protein; c-FLIP; caspase-8-related protein; casper; caspase-like apoptosis regulatory protein; CLARP; MACH-related inducer of toxicity; MRIT; caspase homolog; CASH; inhibitor of FLICE; I-FLICE; FADD-like antiapoptotic molecule 1; FLAME-1; usurpin (CFLAR, CASH, CASP8AP1, CLARP, MRIT) caspase-1; IL1 beta-converting enzyme [ICE] (CASP1, IL1BC, IL1BCE) caspase-2; ich-1 protein; Nedd-2, neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated 2 protein (CASP2) caspase-3; CPP32/YAMA; PARP cleavage protease; apopain (CASP3, CPP32) caspase-4; ich-2 protease; Tx protease (CASP4, ICH2) caspase-5; ich-3 protease; ICErel III; TY protease (CASP5, ICH3) caspase-6; MCH-2 protein (CASP6, MCH2) caspase-7; ICE-like apoptotic protease 3; ICE-LAP3; Mch-3 protein (CASP7, MCH3) caspase-8; ICE-like apoptotic protease 5; MACH; MORT-1 associated CED-3 homolog; FLICE; FADD-like ICE; Mch5 (CASP8) caspase-9; ice-like apoptotic protease 6; ICE-LAP6; apoptotic protease MCH-6 (CASP9, MCH6) caspase-10; ICE-like apoptotic protease 4; FLICE2; Mch4 protein (CASP10, MCH4) caspase-11 caspase-12; CASP-12 (CASP12) caspase-13; evolutionarily-related interleukin-1-beta converting enzyme; ERICE (CASP13) caspase-14; apoptosis-related cysteine protease (CASP14)

General

cysteine proteinase; thiol proteinase pro apoptotic protein

Properties

MOTIF: QACRG MOTIF: cysteine residue

References

  1. Martin SJ, Green DR. Protease activation during apoptosis: death by a thousand cuts? Cell. 1995 Aug 11;82(3):349-52. Review. No abstract available. PMID: 7634323
  2. Villa P, Kaufmann SH, Earnshaw WC. Caspases and caspase inhibitors. Trends Biochem Sci. 1997 Oct;22(10):388-93. Review. PMID: 9357314
  3. Nicholson DW, Thornberry NA. Caspases: killer proteases. Trends Biochem Sci. 1997 Aug;22(8):299-306. Review. PMID: 9270303
  4. Marx J, Science 293:2192-94, 2001

Databases & Figures

Kegg hsa/hsa04210 Figures/diagrams/slides/tables related to caspase