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

Introduction

A family of cysteine proteases.

Classification

• caspases can be divided into two classes
  • caspases 1,2,4,5,8,10 with long N-terminal prodomains
  • 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).

* see figure

Structure

• homology to interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme [[[A29743|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

More general terms

• cysteine proteinase; thiol proteinase
• pro apoptotic protein

More specific terms

• 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 FLIC...
• 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)

Additional terms

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

Database

• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?