Department of Animal Development and Physiology, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
J Fish Biol. 2009 Mar;74(4):727-53. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02184.x.
Caspases (cysteine-dependent aspartyl-specific protease) belong to a family of cysteine proteases that mediate proteolytic events indispensable for biological phenomena such as cell death and inflammation. The first caspase was identified as an executioner of apoptotic cell death in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans. Additionally, a large number of caspases have been identified in various animals from sponges to vertebrates. Caspases are thought to play a pivotal role in apoptosis as an evolutionarily conserved function; however, the number of caspases that can be identified is distinct for each species. This indicates that species-specific functions or diversification of physiological roles has been cultivated through caspase evolution. Furthermore, recent studies suggest that caspases are also involved in inflammation and cellular differentiation in mammals. This review highlights vertebrate caspases in their universal and divergent functions and provides insight into the physiological roles of these molecules in animals.
Caspases（半胱氨酸依赖性天冬氨酸特异性蛋白酶）属于半胱氨酸蛋白酶家族，介导细胞死亡和炎症等生物学现象中必不可少的蛋白水解事件。第一个 caspase 是在线虫秀丽隐杆线虫中鉴定为凋亡细胞死亡的执行者。此外，在从海绵动物到脊椎动物的各种动物中已经鉴定出大量的 caspase。caspase 被认为在凋亡中作为一种进化上保守的功能发挥关键作用;然而，每种物种都可以鉴定出的 caspase 的数量是不同的。这表明 caspase 的进化产生了物种特异性的功能或生理作用的多样化。此外，最近的研究表明 caspase 也参与哺乳动物的炎症和细胞分化。这篇综述强调了脊椎动物 caspase 的普遍和独特功能，并深入了解了这些分子在动物中的生理作用。
