Caspase proteinases

Crystal structure of gingipain R an Arg-specific bacterial cysteine proteinase with a caspase-like fold. EMBOJ. 1999, 18, 5453-5462. 

W13. Wolf, B. B., and Green, D. R., Suicidal tendencies Apoptotic cell death by caspase family proteinases. J. Biol. Chem. 274, 20049-20052 (1999). 

Wolf B, Green D. Suicidal tendencies apoptotic cell death by caspase family proteinases. J Biol Chem 1999 274 20049-20052. Ahmad M, Srinivasula SM, Hegde R, Mukattash R, Eernandes-AlnemriT, Alnemri ES. Identification and characterization of murine caspase 14, a new member of the caspase family. Cancer Res 1998 58 5201-5205. 

It is well understood that caspases are critical for the process of apoptosis. Caspases are cysteinyl-containing active center proteases with specificity for protein cleavage after aspartyl residues. Thus the term caspase is derived from (ysteinyl-containing aij artate-specific proteinase. The caspases are responsible for many of the hallmarks of apoptosis defined in Table 18.1, mediated through their cleavage of specific polypeptide substrates. The caspases (e.g., caspase-2, -3, -6, -7, -8, -9, -10, and -12 in the mouse) are not the only proteases involved in PCD, as calpains have also been shown to play... 

Camosol, camosic acid, rosmarinic acid and ursolic acid were isolated from rosemary (/). Their sfructures are shovm in Figure 1. RNase A, proteinase K and propidium iodide were purchased from Sigma (St. Louis, MO). Substrates for caspase-1, Ac-YVAD-AMC casppase-3, Ac-DEVD-AMC caspase-8, Ac-lETD-AMC and caspase-9, Ac-LEHD-AMC were obtained from AnaSpec Inc. (San Jose, CA). DiOC6 (5) and DCFH-DA were obtained from Molecular Probes (Eugene, OR). 

Biological/Medical Applications Detecting risk of Alzheimer s disease and stroke evaluating/testing sperm quality identifying bacteria as a substrate for measuring aromatase activity, azoreductase activity, phospholipase activity, proteases activity (caspase activity, cathepsin C activity, elastase activity proteinase activity) " implantable drug-delivery devices ... 

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