Caspases

Caspases (cysteine-aspartic proteases, cysteine aspartases or cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed proteases) are a family of protease enzymes playing essential roles in programmed cell death. They are named caspases due to their specific cysteine protease activity – a cysteine in its active site nucleophilically attacks and cleaves a target protein only after an aspartic acid residue. As of 2009, there are 12 confirmed caspases in humans and 10 in mice, carrying out a variety of cellular functions.

protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Caspase-9 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the CASP9 gene. It is an initiator caspase, critical to the apoptotic pathway found in many tissues. Caspase-9 homologs have been identified in all mammals for which they are known to exist, such as Mus musculus and Pan troglodytes.

protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

class of enzymes

mammalian protein found in Homo sapiens

mammalian protein found in Homo sapiens

protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

bovine protein