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Cellular mechanisms controlling caspase activation and function

Publication ,  Journal Article
Parrish, AB; Freel, CD; Kornbluth, S
Published in: Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine
January 1, 2013

Caspases are the primary drivers of apoptotic cell death, cleaving cellular proteins that are critical for dismantling the dying cell. Initially translated as inactive zymogenic precursors, caspases are activated in response to a variety of cell death stimuli. In addition to factors required for their direct activation (e.g., dimerizing adaptor proteins in the case of initiator caspases that lie at the apex of apoptotic signaling cascades), caspases are regulated by a variety of cellular factors in a myriad of physiological and pathological settings. For example, caspases may be modified posttranslationally (e.g., by phosphorylation or ubiquitylation) or through interaction of modulatory factors with either the zymogenic or active form of a caspase, altering its activation and/or activity. These regulatory events may inhibit or enhance enzymatic activity or may affect activity toward particular cellular substrates. Finally, there is emerging literature to suggest that caspases can participate in a variety of cellular processes unrelated to apoptotic cell death. In these settings, it is particularly important that caspases are maintained under stringent control to avoid inadvertent cell death. It is likely that continued examination of these processes will reveal new mechanisms of caspase regulation with implications well beyond control of apoptotic cell death. © 2013 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine

EISSN

2157-1422

Publication Date

January 1, 2013

Volume

3

Issue

1

Related Subject Headings

  • 1116 Medical Physiology
  • 1108 Medical Microbiology
  • 1101 Medical Biochemistry and Metabolomics
 

Citation

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Parrish, A. B., Freel, C. D., & Kornbluth, S. (2013). Cellular mechanisms controlling caspase activation and function. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, 3(1).
Parrish, A. B., C. D. Freel, and S. Kornbluth. “Cellular mechanisms controlling caspase activation and function.” Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine 3, no. 1 (January 1, 2013).
Parrish AB, Freel CD, Kornbluth S. Cellular mechanisms controlling caspase activation and function. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine. 2013 Jan 1;3(1).
Parrish, A. B., et al. “Cellular mechanisms controlling caspase activation and function.” Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, vol. 3, no. 1, Jan. 2013.
Parrish AB, Freel CD, Kornbluth S. Cellular mechanisms controlling caspase activation and function. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine. 2013 Jan 1;3(1).

Published In

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine

EISSN

2157-1422

Publication Date

January 1, 2013

Volume

3

Issue

1

Related Subject Headings

  • 1116 Medical Physiology
  • 1108 Medical Microbiology
  • 1101 Medical Biochemistry and Metabolomics