Riedl Stefan J, Shi Yigong
Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Lewis Thomas Laboratory, Washington Road, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA.
Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2004 Nov;5(11):897-907. doi: 10.1038/nrm1496.
Caspases, which are the executioners of apoptosis, comprise two distinct classes, the initiators and the effectors. Although general structural features are shared between the initiator and the effector caspases, their activation, inhibition and release of inhibition are differentially regulated. Biochemical and structural studies have led to important advances in understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of caspase regulation. This article reviews these latest advances and describes our present understanding of caspase regulation during apoptosis.
半胱天冬酶作为细胞凋亡的执行者，可分为两大类，即起始者和效应者。尽管起始半胱天冬酶和效应半胱天冬酶具有共同的一般结构特征，但它们的激活、抑制以及抑制解除过程受到不同的调控。生化和结构研究在理解半胱天冬酶调控的潜在分子机制方面取得了重要进展。本文综述了这些最新进展，并阐述了我们目前对细胞凋亡过程中半胱天冬酶调控的理解。
