caspase-5; ich-3 protease; ICErel III; TY protease (CASP5, ICH3)

Function

• mediator of programmed cell death (apoptosis)
• two subunits derived from the precursor by an autocatalytic mechanism
• strict requirement for Asp at the P1 position
• preferred cleavage sequence of Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp-|- but also cleaves at Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-|-

Structure

• heterotetramer that consists of two anti-parallel arranged heterodimers, each one formed by a 20 kD (p20) & a 10 kD (p10) subunit
• belongs to the peptidase C14 family
• contains 1 CARD domain

Expression

• expressed in barely detectable amounts in most tissues except brain
• highest levels found in lung, liver & skeletal muscle

More general terms

• caspase

Database

• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P51878.html
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:838
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/602665
• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=838