CASP9
Sign in to saveCaspase-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.
Article
21 sectionsContents
- Structure
- Localization
- Protein expression
- Mechanism
- Processing
- Activation
- Catalytic activity
- Regulation
- Deficiencies and mutations
- Clinical significance
- iCasp9
- Alternative transcripts
- Caspase-9α (9L)
- Caspase-9β (9S)
- Caspase-9γ
- Isoform 4
- Interactions
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
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.
Caspase-9 belongs to a family of caspases, cysteine-aspartic proteases involved in apoptosis and cytokine signalling. Apoptotic signals cause the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and activation of apaf-1 (apoptosome), which then cleaves the pro-enzyme of caspase-9 into the active dimer form. Regulation of this enzyme occurs through phosphorylation by an allosteric inhibitor, inhibiting dimerization and inducing a conformational change.