Caspase 13
Encyclopedia
Caspase 13 is an enzyme
known as a cysteine protease
that was identified in cattle that is also called "Evolutionarily Related Interleukin-1β Converting Enzyme" (ERICE). It belongs to a family of enzymes called caspase
s that cleave their substrate
s at C-terminal aspartic acid
residues. Although this enzyme was originally reported as a human caspase that could be activated by caspase 8
, later studies confirmed the gene identified for caspase 13 came from bovine origin, and is the likely orthologue of human caspase 4
.
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
known as a cysteine protease
Cysteine protease
Proteases are enzymes that degrade polypeptides. Cysteine proteases have a common catalytic mechanism that involves a nucleophilic cysteine thiol in a catalytic dyad. The first step is deprotonation of a thiol in the enzyme's active site by an adjacent amino acid with a basic side chain, usually a...
that was identified in cattle that is also called "Evolutionarily Related Interleukin-1β Converting Enzyme" (ERICE). It belongs to a family of enzymes called caspase
Caspase
Caspases, or cysteine-aspartic proteases or cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed proteases are a family of cysteine proteases that play essential roles in apoptosis , necrosis, and inflammation....
s that cleave their substrate
Substrate (biochemistry)
In biochemistry, a substrate is a molecule upon which an enzyme acts. Enzymes catalyze chemical reactions involving the substrate. In the case of a single substrate, the substrate binds with the enzyme active site, and an enzyme-substrate complex is formed. The substrate is transformed into one or...
s at C-terminal aspartic acid
Aspartic acid
Aspartic acid is an α-amino acid with the chemical formula HOOCCHCH2COOH. The carboxylate anion, salt, or ester of aspartic acid is known as aspartate. The L-isomer of aspartate is one of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids, i.e., the building blocks of proteins...
residues. Although this enzyme was originally reported as a human caspase that could be activated by caspase 8
Caspase 8
Caspase 8 is a caspase protein, encoded by the CASP8 gene. It most likely acts upon caspase 3.CASP8 orthologs have been identified in numerous mammals for which complete genome data are available...
, later studies confirmed the gene identified for caspase 13 came from bovine origin, and is the likely orthologue of human caspase 4
Caspase 4
Caspase 4 is an enzyme that proteolytically cleaves other proteins at an aspartic acid residue, and belongs to a family of cysteine proteases called caspases...
.
External links
- The MEROPSMeropsMerops may refer to:* Merops , a genus of bee-eaters.* MEROPS, an on-line database for peptidases.It may also refer to several figures from Greek mythology:* King of Ethiopia, husband of Clymene, who lay with Helios and bore Phaethon...
online database for peptidases and their inhibitors: C14.017