Caspase 3 Picokine (CASP3) ELISA Kit for Human

This gene encodes a protein which is a member of the cysteine-aspartic acid protease (caspase) family. Sequential activation of caspases plays a central role in the execution-phase of cell apoptosis. Caspases exist as inactive proenzymes which undergo proteolytic processing at conserved aspartic residues to produce two subunits, large and small, that dimerize to form the active enzyme. This protein cleaves and activates caspases 6, 7 and 9, and the protein itself is processed by caspases 8, 9 and 10. It is the predominant caspase involved in the cleavage of amyloid-beta 4A precursor protein, which is associated with neuronal death in Alzheimer's disease. Alternative splicing of this gene results in two transcript variants that encode the same protein. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]

CASP3: Involved in the activation cascade of caspases responsible for apoptosis execution. At the onset of apoptosis it proteolytically cleaves poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) at a '216-Asp-|-Gly-217' bond. Cleaves and activates sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) between the basic helix-loop- helix leucine zipper domain and the membrane attachment domain. Cleaves and activates caspase-6, -7 and -9. Involved in the cleavage of huntingtin. Triggers cell adhesion in sympathetic neurons through RET cleavage. Heterotetramer that consists of two anti-parallel arranged heterodimers, each one formed by a 17 kDa (p17) and a 12 kDa (p12) subunit. Interacts with BIRC6/bruce. Highly expressed in lung, spleen, heart, liver and kidney. Moderate levels in brain and skeletal muscle, and low in testis. Also found in many cell lines, highest expression in cells of the immune system. Inhibited by isatin sulfonamides. Belongs to the peptidase C14A family.

Protein type: Protease; Apoptosis; EC 3.4.22.56; Motility/polarity/chemotaxis

Chromosomal Location of Human Ortholog: 4q34

Cellular Component: cytosol; lipid raft; nucleoplasm; nucleus; plasma membrane

Molecular Function: aspartic-type endopeptidase activity; caspase activator activity; cyclin-dependent protein kinase inhibitor activity; cysteine-type endopeptidase activity; death receptor binding; peptidase activity; phospholipase A2 activator activity; protease binding; protein binding; protein complex binding

Biological Process: apoptosis; B cell homeostasis; caspase activation; caspase activation via cytochrome c; cell fate commitment; cell structure disassembly during apoptosis; DNA fragmentation during apoptosis; erythrocyte differentiation; heart development; hippocampus development; keratinocyte differentiation; learning and/or memory; negative regulation of activated T cell proliferation; negative regulation of apoptosis; negative regulation of B cell proliferation; negative regulation of cyclin-dependent protein kinase activity; nerve growth factor receptor signaling pathway; neuron apoptosis; neuron differentiation; platelet formation; positive regulation of neuron apoptosis; proteolysis; regulation of macroautophagy; response to amino acid stimulus; response to antibiotic; response to cobalt ion; response to DNA damage stimulus; response to drug; response to estradiol stimulus; response to glucocorticoid stimulus; response to glucose stimulus; response to hydrogen peroxide; response to hypoxia; response to lipopolysaccharide; response to nicotine; response to UV; response to X-ray; sensory perception of sound; T cell homeostasis; wound healing