title: Dimerization and autoprocessing of the Nedd2 (caspase-2) precursor requires both the prodomain and the carboxyl-terminal regions.
abstract: Nedd2 (caspase-2) is a cysteine protease of the caspase family that has been demonstrated to play a role in the apoptotic pathway. The 51-kDa precursor of Nedd2 undergoes cleavage into two subunits following various apoptotic stimuli. In this study, we have investigated the dimerization of the Nedd2 precursor (pro-Nedd2) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its self-processing activity in vivo. We demonstrate that the expression of pro-Nedd2 in yeast cells results in processing of the precursor. A catalytically inactive pro-Nedd2 mutant dimerized in yeast, and the dimerization required both the prodomain and the carboxyl-terminal residues. Aspartate mutants that block the removal of the p14/p12 subunits, but not the wild-type Nedd2, were shown to dimerize in yeast cells, suggesting that dimerization occurs prior to processing. In vitro processing of pro-Nedd2 by recombinant active Nedd2 defined the aspartate residues that are crucial for processing to occur. Both the in vivo and in vitro processing of pro-Nedd2 directly correlated with its ability to induce cell death in transient overexpression experiments.
authors.affiliation: Hanson Centre for Cancer Research, Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, Frome Road, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Butt
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parasivam
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D053143:Caspase 2; D020169:Caspases; D019281:Dimerization; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D051379:Mice; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D011506:Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D053143:Caspase 2; D020169:Caspases