Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.4.22.61 (caspase-8)
 6,833 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The assembly of the CD-95 (Fas/Apo-1) receptor death-inducing signaling complex occurs in a hierarchical manner; the death domain of CD-95 binds to the corresponding domain in the adapter molecule Fas-associated death domain (FADD) Mort-1, which in turn recruits the zymogen form of the death protease caspase-8 (FLICE/Mach-1) by a homophilic interaction involving the death effector domains. Immediately after recruitment, the single polypeptide FLICE zymogen is proteolytically processed to the active dimeric species composed of large and small catalytic subunits. Since all caspases cleave their substrates after Asp residues and are themselves processed from the single-chain zymogen to the two-chain active enzyme by cleavage at internal Asp residues, it follows that an upstream caspase can process a downstream zymogen. However, since FLICE represents the most apical caspase in the Fas pathway, its mode of activation has been enigmatic. We hypothesized that the FLICE zymogen possesses intrinsic enzymatic activity such that when approximated, it autoprocesses to the active protease. Support for this was provided by (i) the synthesis of chimeric Fpk3FLICE molecules that can be oligomerized in vivo by the synthetic cell-permeable dimerizer FK1012H2. Cells transfected with Fpk3FLICE underwent apoptosis after exposure to FK1012H2; (ii) the creation of a nonprocessable zymogen form of FLICE that retained low but detectable protease activity.
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PMID:An induced proximity model for caspase-8 activation. 944 4

Apoptotic cell suicide initiated by ligation of CD95 (Fas/APO-1) occurs through recruitment, oligomerization and autocatalytic activation of the cysteine protease, caspase-8 (MACH, FLICE, Mch5). An endogenous mammalian regulator of this process, named Usurpin, has been identified (aliases for Usurpin include CASH, Casper, CLARP, FLAME-1, FLIP, I-FLICE and MRIT). This protein is ubiquitously expressed and exists as at least three isoforms arising by alternative mRNA splicing. The Usurpin gene is comprised of 13 exons and is clustered within approximately 200 Kb with the caspase-8 and -10 genes on human chromosome 2q33-34. The Usurpin polypeptide has features in common with pro-caspase-8 and -10, including tandem 'death effector domains' on the N-terminus of a large subunit/small subunit caspase-like domain, but it lacks key residues that are necessary for caspase proteolytic activity, including the His and Cys which form the catalytic substrates diad, and residues that stabilize the P1 aspartic acid in substrates. Retro-mutation of these residues to functional caspase counterparts failed to restore proteolytic activity, indicating that other determinants also ensure the absence of catalytic potential. Usurpin heterodimerized with pro-caspase-8 in vitro and precluded pro-caspase-8 recruitment by the FADD/MORT1 adapter protein. Cell death induced by CD95 (Fas/APO-1) ligation was attenuated in cells transfected with Usurpin. In vivo, a Usurpin deficit was found in cardiac infarcts where TUNEL-positive myocytes and active caspase-3 expression were prominent following ischemia/reperfusion injury. In contrast, abundant Usurpin expression (and a caspase-3 deficit) occurred in surrounding unaffected cardiac tissue, suggesting reciprocal regulation of these pro- and anti-apoptotic molecules in vivo. Usurpin thus appears to be an endogenous modulator of apoptosis sensitivity in mammalian cells, including the susceptibility of cardiac myocytes to apoptotic death following ischemia/ reperfusion injury.
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PMID:Cell death attenuation by 'Usurpin', a mammalian DED-caspase homologue that precludes caspase-8 recruitment and activation by the CD-95 (Fas, APO-1) receptor complex. 1020 Apr 73

FADD (also known as MORT-1) is an essential adapter protein that couples the transmembrane receptors Fas (CD95) and tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (TNF-R1) to intracellular cysteine proteases known as caspases, which propagate and execute the programmed cell death-inducing signal triggered by Fas ligand (FasL, CD95L) and TNF. FADD contains 208 amino acid residues, and comprises two functionally and structurally distinct domains: an N-terminal death effector domain (DED) that promotes activation of the downstream proteolytic cascade through binding of the DED domains of procaspase-8; and a C-terminal death domain (DD). FADD-DD provides the site of FADD recruitment to death receptor complexes at the plasma membrane by, for example, interaction with the Fas receptor cytoplasmic death domain (Fas-DD), or binding of the TNF-R1 adapter molecule TRADD. We have determined the three-dimensional solution structure and characterised the internal polypeptide dynamics of human FADD-DD using heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy of (15)N and (13)C,(15)N-labelled samples. The structure comprises six alpha-helices joined by short loops and displays overall similarity to the death domain of the Fas receptor. The analysis of the dynamic properties reveals no evidence of contiguous stretches of polypeptide chain with increased internal motion, except at the extreme chain termini. A pattern of increased rates of amide proton solvent exchange in the alpha3 helix correlates with a higher degree of solvent exposure for this secondary structure element. The properties of the FADD-DD structure are discussed with respect to previously reported mutagenesis data and emerging models for FasL-induced FADD recruitment to Fas and caspase-8 activation.
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PMID:The three-dimensional solution structure and dynamic properties of the human FADD death domain. 1096 68

Fas is the death receptor, transducing cell death signaling upon stimulation by Fas ligand. During Fas-initiated cell death signaling, the formation of Fas-death inducing signaling complex (Fas-DISC) is the first step. Here we have identified a new component of Fas-DISC which we call 'small-accelerator for death signaling' (SADS). SADS cDNA encodes a 150 amino acid polypeptide (Mr = 16,700). During Fas-mediated cell death, SADS enhances the interaction of Fas-death domain-interactive factors (FADD) and procaspase-8, and deletion mutant analysis has identified FADD- and caspase-8-interactive domains in SADS. Inhibition or removal of SADS delays Fas-mediated cell death. In addition, we demonstrate the deletion or mutation of SADS in patients with colon carcinoma and that exogenous SADS expression in human colon carcinoma SW480 cells that lack SADS leads to re-acquisition of Fas-mediated cell death. Here, we propose that SADS is one of the cell death-associated factors and enhances Fas-DISC formation, especially FADD and procaspase-8 recruitment.
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PMID:SADS: A new component of Fas-DISC is the accelerator for cell death signaling and is downregulated in patients with colon carcinoma. 1138 16

Caspase-8 is a member of the cysteine proteases, which are implicated in apoptosis and cytokine processing. Like all caspases, caspase-8 is synthesized as an inactive single polypeptide chain zymogen procaspase and is activated by proteolytic cleavage, through either autoactivation after recruitment into a multimeric complex or trans-cleavage by other caspases. Thus, ligand binding-induced trimerization of death receptors results in recruitment of the receptor-specific adapter protein Fas-associated death domain (FADD), which then recruits caspase-8. Activated caspase-8 is known to propagate the apoptotic signal either by directly cleaving and activating downstream caspases or by cleaving the BH3 Bcl2-interacting protein, which leads to the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, triggering activation of caspase-9 in a complex with dATP and Apaf-1. Activated caspase-9 then activates further "downstream caspases," including caspase-8. Knockout data indicate that caspase-8 is required for killing induced by the death receptors Fas, tumor necrosis factor receptor 1, and death receptor 3. Moreover, caspase-8-/- mice die in utero as a result of defective development of heart muscle and display fewer hematopoietic progenitor cells, suggesting that the FADD/caspase-8 pathway is absolutely required for growth and development of specific cell types.
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PMID:Caspase-8 in apoptosis: the beginning of "the end"? 1118 63

In Huntington disease, polyglutamine expansion of the protein huntingtin (Htt) leads to selective neurodegenerative loss of medium spiny neurons throughout the striatum by an unknown apoptotic mechanism. Binding of Hip-1, a protein normally associated with Htt, is reduced by polyglutamine expansion. Free Hip-1 binds to a hitherto unknown polypeptide, Hippi (Hip-1 protein interactor), which has partial sequence homology to Hip-1 and similar tissue and subcellular distribution. The availability of free Hip-1 is modulated by polyglutamine length within Htt, with disease-associated polyglutamine expansion favouring the formation of pro-apoptotic Hippi-Hip-1 heterodimers. This heterodimer can recruit procaspase-8 into a complex of Hippi, Hip-1 and procaspase-8, and launch apoptosis through components of the 'extrinsic' cell-death pathway. We propose that Htt polyglutamine expansion liberates Hip-1 so that it can form a caspase-8 recruitment complex with Hippi. This novel non-receptor-mediated pathway for activating caspase-8 might contribute to neuronal death in Huntington disease.
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PMID:Recruitment and activation of caspase-8 by the Huntingtin-interacting protein Hip-1 and a novel partner Hippi. 1183 52

Macrophages infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis undergo increased rates of apoptosis. Important objectives are to define the microbial factors that cause apoptosis, the mechanisms involved and the impact on infection. The 19-kDa M. tuberculosis glycolipoprotein (p19) is both cell wall-associated and secreted and is a candidate virulence factor. We investigated the potential of recombinant, His-tagged p19 lacking the secretion/acylation signal to induce macrophage apoptosis. The TUNEL assay and annexin V binding to membrane phosphatidylserine were used to measure apoptosis. The results show that p19 does act to induce apoptosis in differentiated THP-1 cells and monocyte-derived macrophages and that this effect is both dose- and time-dependent. Furthermore, this effect of p19 is Toll-like receptor (TLR)-2-mediated because preincubation of either THP-1 cells or TLR-2-expressing CHO cells with anti-TLR-2 mAb inhibited apoptosis induced by p19. Apoptosis of macrophages in response to p19 was found to be caspase-8 dependent and caspase-9 independent consistent with a transmembrane pathway signaling cell death through TLR-2. The viability of M. tuberculosis in cells undergoing apoptosis induced by p19 was significantly reduced suggesting the possibility that this may favor containment of infection. Although native p19 is a mycobacterial glycolipoprotein, based upon the use of recombinant p19 where the acylation signal had been removed, we conclude that it is the polypeptide component of p19 that is responsible for signaling through TLR-2 and that the lipid moiety is not required.
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PMID:The 19-kDa Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein induces macrophage apoptosis through Toll-like receptor-2. 1259 64

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) might represent a future cytotoxic drug to treat cancer as it induces apoptosis in tumor cells without toxicity in animal trials. We recently described that in contrast to apoptosis, TRAIL mediates tumor cell survival and proliferation in certain tumor cells. Here we studied the effect of TRAIL on 18 cell lines and 53 primary leukemia cells and classified these tumor cells into four groups: TRAIL, anti-DR4 or anti-DR5 induced apoptosis in group A cells, whereas they had no effect on group 0 cells and mediated proliferation in group P cells. To our surprise, TRAIL induced simultaneous apoptosis and proliferation in group AP cells. More than 20% of all cells tested belonged to group P and showed TRAIL-mediated proliferation even in the presence of certain cytotoxic drugs but not inhibitors of nuclear factor-kappaB. Transfection with B-cell leukemia/lymphoma protein 2 transformed group A cells into group 0 cells, whereas transfection with Fas-associated polypeptide with death domain (FADD)-like interleukin-1-converting enzyme-inhibitory protein (FLIP) transformed them into group AP cells. Loss of caspase-8 or transfection of dominant-negative FADD transformed group A cells into group P cells. Taken together, our data suggest that proliferation is a frequent effect of TRAIL on tumor cells, which is related to receptor-proximal apoptosis defects at the level of the death-inducing signaling complex and should be prevented during antitumor therapy with TRAIL.
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PMID:Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-mediated proliferation of tumor cells with receptor-proximal apoptosis defects. 1614 Sep 59

Polypeptide from Chlamys farreri (PCF) is a novel marine active product isolated from gonochoric Chinese scallop Chlamys farreri which has recently been found to be an effective antioxidant. In this study, we assessed the effect of PCF on UVB-induced intracellular signalling of apoptosis in HaCaT cells. Pre-treatment with PCF significantly inhibited UVB-induced apoptosis in HaCaT cells. PCF strongly reduced the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level followed by inhibiting the release of cytochrome c. The expression of CD95 and Fas-associating protein with death domain (FADD) was eliminated in a dose-dependent manner by PCF pre-treatment in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells, followed by inhibition of cleavage of procaspase-8, whose activation induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, pre-treatment with the ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and the caspase-8 inhibitor z-IETD-fmk was found to effectively prevent UVB-induced apoptosis, suggesting that UVB-induced HaCaT cell apoptosis was partially due to generation of ROS and activation of the caspase-8 pathway. Consequently, the protective effect of PCF against UVB irradiation in HaCaT cells is exerted by suppression of generation of ROS followed by inhibition of cytochrome c release and inactivation of Fas-FADD-caspase-8 pathway, resulting in blockage of UVB-induced apoptosis.
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PMID:Polypeptide from Chlamys farreri inhibits UVB-induced HaCaT cells apoptosis via inhibition CD95 pathway and reactive oxygen species. 1790 2

Caspase-12 is a dominant-negative regulator of caspase-1 (IL-1beta-converting enzyme) and an attenuator of cytokine responsiveness to septic infections. This molecular role for caspase-12 appears to be akin to the role of cFLIP in regulating caspase-8 in the extrinsic cell death pathway; however, unlike cFLIP/Usurpin, we demonstrate here that caspase-12 is catalytically competent. To examine these catalytic properties, rat caspase-12 was cloned, and the recombinant enzyme was used to examine the cleavage of macromolecular and synthetic fluorogenic substrates. Although caspase-12 could mediate autoproteolytic maturation of its own proenzyme, in both cis and trans, it was not able to cleave any other polypeptide substrate, including other caspase proenzymes, apoptotic substrates, cytokine precursors, or proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum that normally undergo caspase-mediated proteolysis. The dearth of potential substrates for caspase-12 also was confirmed by whole-cell diagonal-gel analysis. Autolytic cleavage within the caspase-12 proenzyme was mapped to a single site at the large-small subunit junction, ATAD(319), and this motif was recognized by caspase-12 when incorporated into synthetic fluorogenic substrates. The specific activity of caspase-12 with these substates was several orders of magnitude lower than caspases-1 and -3, highlighting its relative catalytic paucity. In intact cells, caspase-12 autoproteolysis occurred in the inhibitory complex containing caspase-1. We propose that the proteolytic activity of caspase-12 is confined to its own proenzyme and that autocleavage within the caspase-1 complex may be a means for temporal limitation of the inhibitory effects of caspase-12 on proinflammatory cytokine maturation.
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PMID:Confinement of caspase-12 proteolytic activity to autoprocessing. 1833 41


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