Caspase-3 (CASP3) Antibody – Mouse Monoclonal

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

Chromosomal Location of Human Ortholog: 4q35.1

Cellular Component: cytosol; nucleoplasm; nucleus; plasma membrane

Molecular Function: aspartic-type endopeptidase activity; caspase activator activity; cysteine-type endopeptidase activity; peptidase activity; protein binding

Biological Process: apoptosis; caspase activation; caspase activation via cytochrome c; cell structure disassembly during apoptosis; DNA fragmentation during apoptosis; erythrocyte differentiation; keratinocyte differentiation; negative regulation of apoptosis; nerve growth factor receptor signaling pathway; neuron differentiation; platelet formation; proteolysis; regulation of macroautophagy