title: The role of caspases in T cell development and the control of immune responses.
abstract: Apoptosis is responsible for the removal of potentially autoreactive or useless T cells during thymic selection and activated T cells in the periphery. Specific families of receptors, kinases, transcription factors, and cysteine proteases, termed caspases, are involved in the apoptotic cascade leading to proteolysis of specific substrates and to morphological changes associated with programmed cell death. Although common members of the apoptotic cascade are shared between different cell types, it appears that cell-specific factors can influence the response to a given apoptotic stimuli. Characterization and understanding of the basic mechanisms involved in the different pathways protecting or leading to cell death may provide novel ways to control inappropriate apoptosis involved in several diseases.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Immunologie, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Denis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rhéaume
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Aouad
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Sékaly
authors.forename: L Y
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D020169:Caspases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D057105:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1; D010802:Phylogeny; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000502:physiology; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C539821:NR4A1 protein, human; D057105:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D014157:Transcription Factors; D020169:Caspases