Caspases at the crossroads of immune-cell life and death.
Caspases are responsible for crucial aspects of inflammation and immune-cell death that are disrupted in a number of genetic autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases. The caspase family of proteases can be divided into pro-apoptotic and pro-inflammatory members based on their substrate specificity and participation in separate signalling cascades. However, as discussed here, evidence has emerged over the past few years that a number of the caspases thought to be involved solely in apoptosis also contribute to specific aspects of immune-cell development, activation and differentiation, and can even protect cells from some forms of cell death.
Siegel
Richard M
RM
Immunoregulation Unit, Autoimmunity Branch, NIAMS, National Institutes of Health, Building 10 Room 9N238, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. rsiegel@nih.gov
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D004330:Drosophila / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D018448:Models, Immunological; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology
D020169:Caspases