Creagh Emma M, Conroy Helen, Martin Seamus J
Molecular Cell Biology Laboratory,Department of Genetics,The Smurfit Institute, Trinity College,Dublin, Ireland.
Immunol Rev. 2003 Jun;193:10-21. doi: 10.1034/j.1600-065x.2003.00048.x.
Members of the caspase family of cysteine proteases have been firmly established to play key roles in signal transduction cascades that culminate in apoptosis (programmed cell death). Caspases are normally expressed as inactive precursor enzymes (zymogens) that become activated during apoptosis and proceed to dismantle the cell from within. To date, three major apoptosis-associated pathways to caspase activation have been elucidated. Certain caspases, such as caspase-1, also occupy important positions in signaling pathways associated with immune responses to microbial pathogens. In this situation, caspase activation is associated with the maturation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and IL-18, and not apoptosis per se. Here, we discuss the current understanding of how caspases are activated during apoptosis and inflammation and the roles these proteases play in either context.
半胱氨酸蛋白酶的半胱天冬酶家族成员已被确证在最终导致细胞凋亡（程序性细胞死亡）的信号转导级联反应中发挥关键作用。半胱天冬酶通常以无活性的前体酶（酶原）形式表达，在细胞凋亡过程中被激活，然后从细胞内部开始拆解细胞。迄今为止，已阐明了三种主要的与半胱天冬酶激活相关的细胞凋亡途径。某些半胱天冬酶，如半胱天冬酶-1，在与针对微生物病原体的免疫反应相关的信号通路中也占据重要地位。在这种情况下，半胱天冬酶的激活与促炎细胞因子（如白细胞介素-1β（IL-1β）和IL-18）的成熟有关，而与细胞凋亡本身无关。在此，我们讨论目前对半胱天冬酶在细胞凋亡和炎症过程中如何被激活以及这些蛋白酶在这两种情况下所起作用的理解。
Zotero 插件