Caspase Family Proteases and Apoptosis

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is an essential physiological process that plays a critical role in development and tissue homeostasis.The progress of apoptosis is regulated in an orderly way by a series of signal cascades under certain circumstances.The caspase-cascade system plays vital roles in the induction, transduction and amplification of intracellular apoptotic signals.Caspases, closely associated with apoptosis, are aspartate-specific cysteine proteases and members of the interleukin-1β-converting enzyme family.The activation and function of caspases, involved in the delicate caspase-cascade system, are regulated by various kinds of molecules, such as the inhibitor of apoptosis protein, Bcl-2 family proteins, calpain, and Ca 2+ .Based on the latest research, the members of the caspase family, caspase-cascade system and caspase-regulating molecules involved in apoptosis are reviewed.