Caspase-8: fly or die.
Recent studies have revealed that procaspase-8 has an important function in cell adhesion and motility. Src phosphorylation controls this function by preventing the conversion of procaspase-8, which is an adhesion/migration factor, to mature caspase-8, which is an apoptosis-inducing factor. This provides a mechanism to switch these opposing functions. In its migratory role, procaspase-8 interacts with the phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase regulatory subunit p85alpha and c-src to modulate signaling by Rac and extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and promote calpain activation. Here, I survey the findings of these studies and discuss potential mechanisms and ramifications for cancer prognosis and therapy.
West Virginia University, Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. sfrisch@hsc.wvu.edu
Steven M
SM
Frisch
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D053181:Caspase 8 / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000628:therapy
D053181:Caspase 8