Caspase-6 Blocking Peptide

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 is processed by caspases 7, 8 and 10, and is thought to function as a downstream enzyme in the caspase activation cascade. Alternative splicing of this gene results in two transcript variants that encode different isoforms. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]

CASP6: Involved in the activation cascade of caspases responsible for apoptosis execution. Cleaves poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in vitro, as well as lamins. Overexpression promotes programmed cell death. Heterotetramer that consists of two anti-parallel arranged heterodimers, each one formed by a 18 kDa (p18) and a 11 kDa (p11) subunit. Interacts with BIRC6/bruce. Activation is suppressed by phosphorylation at Ser-257. Belongs to the peptidase C14A family. 2 isoforms of the human protein are produced by alternative splicing.

Protein type: Apoptosis; Protease; EC 3.4.22.59

Chromosomal Location of Human Ortholog: 4q25

Cellular Component: nucleoplasm; cytoplasm; cytosol

Molecular Function: identical protein binding; protein binding; cysteine-type endopeptidase activity; cysteine-type peptidase activity

Biological Process: epithelial cell differentiation; apoptosis; proteolysis; cell structure disassembly during apoptosis