caspase-2; ich-1 protein; Nedd-2, neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated 2 protein (CASP2)

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Function

role in the activation cascade of caspases responsible for apoptosis execution
required for translocation of bax to mitochondria, mitochondrial permeabilization as well as release of cytochrome c, smac/diablo & AIF, directly or through cleavage of bid
might function by either activating some proteins required for cell death or inactivating proteins necessary for cell survival
interacts with LRDD
the mature protease can process its own propeptide, but not that of other caspases
strict requirement for an Asp residue at P1, with 316-Asp being essential for proteolytic activity
preferred cleavage sequence of Val-Asp-Val-Ala-Asp-|-

heterotetramer that consists of two anti-parallel arranged heterodimers, each one formed by a p18 subunit & a p12 subunit
belongs to the peptidase C14 family
contains 1 CARD domain

named isoforms=2
two isoforms Ich-1L & ich-1S derived from alternative splicing of the same gene transcript have opposing effects on apoptosis
Ich-1L apparently promotes apoptosis
ich-1S inhibits it

expressed

expressed in embryonic lung, liver & kidney > heart & brain
in adults, expressed in placenta, lung, kidney, pancreas > heart, brain, liver & skeletal muscle

Ich-1 is the protein product of a gene related to the C elegans cell death gene ced-3 & to the mammalian gene ICE encoding the interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme

↑ Wang L, Miura M, Bergeron L, Zhu H, Yuan J. Ich-1, an Ice/ced-3-related gene, encodes both positive and negative regulators of programmed cell death. Cell. 1994 Sep 9;78(5):739-50. PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8087842
↑ UniProt http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P42575.html