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Caspase-2 is an important enzyme in the cysteine aspartate protease family, known as caspases, which are central to the regulation of apoptosis and, in certain cases, inflammation. While many caspases are mainly involved in the initiation and execution of cell death, caspase-2 has a broader range of functions.
Note that in addition to apoptosis, caspase-8 is also required for the inhibition of another form of programmed cell death called necroptosis. Caspase-14 plays a role in epithelial cell keratinocyte differentiation and can form an epidermal barrier that protects against dehydration and UVB radiation. [11]
Caspase 2 has a similar amino acid sequence to initiator caspases, including caspase 1, caspase 4, caspase 5, and caspase 9. It is produced as a zymogen, which contains a long pro-domain that is similar to that of caspase 9 and contains a protein interaction domain known as a CARD domain. Pro-caspase-2 contains two subunits, p19 and p12.
Recently taurine has been found to prevent ischemia-induced apoptosis in cardiomyocytes through its ability to inhibit Apaf1/caspase-9 apoptosome formation without preventing mitochondrial dysfunction. The possible mechanism by which taurine inhibits the apoptosome formation was identified as being capable of reducing the expression of caspase ...
Degradation of nuclear DNA into nucleosomal units is one of the hallmarks of apoptotic cell death. It occurs in response to various apoptotic stimuli in a wide variety of cell types. Molecular characterization of this process identified a specific DNase (CAD, caspase-activated DNase) that cleaves chromosomal DNA in a caspase-dependent manner.
The precise mechanism for this reaction is still debated though work published by Guy Salvesen suggests that the apoptosome may induce caspase-9 dimerization and subsequent autocatalysis. [9] Activated caspase-9 stimulates the subsequent caspase cascade that commits the cell to apoptosis.
APO-1-mediated apoptosis can be inhibited by a variety of factors, including the viral caspase inhibitors CrmA and p35, as well as viral FLICE-inhibitory proteins known as v-FLIPs. When in the presence of APO-1, v-FLIPs preferentially bind and prevent procaspase-8 from being recruited; as such, apoptosis is stalled.
Caspase-9 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the CASP9 gene.It is an initiator caspase, [5] critical to the apoptotic pathway found in many tissues. [6] Caspase-9 homologs have been identified in all mammals for which they are known to exist, such as Mus musculus and Pan troglodytes.