Division of Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
Trends Cell Biol. 2010 Mar;20(3):150-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tcb.2009.12.006. Epub 2010 Jan 12.
Caspase-2, the most conserved member of the caspase family, has long been recognized as an important protein in the regulation of apoptosis. However, due to a lack of phenotype in caspase-2 knock-out mice, its precise role has been questioned. Recently, several publications have described new mechanisms regulating caspase-2 activation, including its role within an activating complex named the PIDDosome, linking caspase-2 function to p53. Consistent with this, evidence is accumulating for potential roles of caspase-2 in non-apoptotic processes, including cell cycle regulation and DNA repair. In addition, a tumor-suppressor function has been suggested for caspase-2. Here we discuss how different PIDDosome complexes could be involved in mechanisms regulating the switch between the various functions of caspase-2.
半胱天冬酶-2（Caspase-2）是半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶家族中最保守的成员，长期以来一直被认为是调节细胞凋亡的重要蛋白。然而，由于 caspase-2 基因敲除小鼠缺乏表型，其确切作用受到质疑。最近，有几项研究描述了新的机制来调节半胱天冬酶-2 的激活，包括其在被称为 PIDDosome 的激活复合物中的作用，将半胱天冬酶-2 的功能与 p53 联系起来。与此一致的是，越来越多的证据表明半胱天冬酶-2 在非凋亡过程中具有潜在作用，包括细胞周期调控和 DNA 修复。此外，caspase-2 还具有肿瘤抑制功能。在这里，我们讨论了不同的 PIDDosome 复合物如何参与调节半胱天冬酶-2 各种功能之间转换的机制。
