title: Regulation of cell death protease caspase-9 by phosphorylation.
abstract: Caspases are intracellular proteases that function as initiators and effectors of apoptosis. The kinase Akt and p21-Ras, an Akt activator, induced phosphorylation of pro-caspase-9 (pro-Casp9) in cells. Cytochrome c-induced proteolytic processing of pro-Casp9 was defective in cytosolic extracts from cells expressing either active Ras or Akt. Akt phosphorylated recombinant Casp9 in vitro on serine-196 and inhibited its protease activity. Mutant pro-Casp9(Ser196Ala) was resistant to Akt-mediated phosphorylation and inhibition in vitro and in cells, resulting in Akt-resistant induction of apoptosis. Thus, caspases can be directly regulated by protein phosphorylation.
authors.affiliation: Program on Apoptosis and Cell Death Research, The Burnham Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Cardone
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Stennicke
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Salvesen
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Franke
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stanbridge
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frisch
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Reed
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D053453:Caspase 9; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000494:pharmacology; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D009154:Mutation; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010768:Phosphoserine / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D010768:Phosphoserine; C494918:AKT1 protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases; C501009:HRAS protein, human; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)