Caspase 8 Human Caspase Cysteine Peptidase Enzymatic LeadHunter Assay - TW

Background Information:

Caspases are the executioners of programmed cell death (apoptosis), a normal process used physiologically to eliminate specific cells or cell types without damaging surrounding cells or causing an inflamatory response. All caspases belong to a family of proteases characterized by a cysteine residue in the active site and display specificity for Asp residues. Caspases are present in all cells as a procaspase, which becomes activated through proteolytic cleavage by other proteases including other caspases. Caspase 8 (FLICE, Mch5 and MACH) is an upstream caspase, which can activate all other caspases. Caspase 8 becomes activated through its interaction with the adaptor protein FADD. FADD binds caspase 8 when the cytokine receptor CD95 is activated. Caspase 8 is constitutively expressed as a 55 kD protein and, when activated, generates 18 and 17 Kd mature polypetides. Mice deficient in caspase 8 die in uterus due to impaired heart muscle development and congested accumulation of erythrocytes. Substrates of caspase 8 include caspase 3, 7 and 13. Caspase inhibitors are currently sought as therapeutics for such diseases as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and cerebral/myocardial ischemia.

Family:

Protease

Sub Family:

Caspase

Class:

Cysteine Peptidase

Protein Name:

Caspase 8

Uniprot Number:

Q14790

Gene Name:

CASP8

Gene ID:

841

Gene Aliases:

MCH5|MACH|FLICE|Casp-8

Accession Number:

NM_001228

Organism:

Human

Construct Details:

Fragment (217-end), Recombinant