CASP2
Каспаза-2 — это белок, который кодируется геном CASP2. Участвует в активации каскада каспаз, ответственных за выполнение апоптоза. Может функционировать, либо активируя некоторые белки, необходимые для гибели клеток, либо инактивируя белки, необходимые для выживания клеток.
Caspase-2 is a protein in humans that is encoded by the CASP2 gene. Caspase-2 is the most evolutionarily conserved of all the caspases. And caspase-2 is characterized by the feature of both initiator and executioner caspases. The substrate specificity of caspase-2 is similar to that of executioner caspases. Like executioner caspases caspase-3 and caspase-7, caspase-2 displays a strong preference for an Aspartic acid residue in the P4 position of its substrates. On the other hand, caspase-2 shares sequence similarities with initiator caspases that all possess long pro-domains containing a protein-protein interaction domain such as a caspase recruitment domain (CARD) or a death effector domain. Due to a CARD in the prodomain of caspase-2, it is activated analogously to the activation of initiator caspases. Under certain cellular stresses, the inactive caspase-2 precursor undergoes dimerization and then converts into active caspase-2. Nevertheless, unlike other initiator caspases, caspase-2 activates the executioner caspases indirectly by inducing MOMP (mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization) through cleavage and activation of the pro-apoptotic Bid. Bid further incurs the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and subsequent apoptosis. Anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL can inhibit apoptosis caused by caspase-2 through the prevention of MOMP. In addition, caspase-2 may have a role in the development, tumorigenesis suppression, and aging. |
