植物细胞程序性死亡中的类胱天蛋白酶研究进展

Recent Advance in the Study of Caspase-like Proteases Involved in Plant Programmed Cell Death

胱天蛋白酶(caspases)在动物细胞程序性死亡(programmed cell death,PCD)的起始、执行以及信号转导阶段起着关键作用,目前在植物中也发现有类胱天蛋白酶(caspase-like proteases,CLPs)的存在,并确认液泡加工酶(VPEs)、metacaspases和丝氨酸内肽酶(sapases)具有CLPs的作用,并证实CLPs参与植物的生长发育、抗病性及胁迫诱导的细胞程序性死亡等.本文对植物CLPs活性、生化结构及生理作用等方面的研究进展进行综述,并与动物caspases进行比较,为今后CLPs活性调节、作用方式及其在植物细胞程序性死亡中的作用等方面的研究提供参考.

Caspases are known to play a key role in initiating,executing and signal transduction of animal programmed cell death（PCD）.The investigations performed over recent few years have proved the existence of caspase-like proteases（CLPs） in plants.Three groups of caspase-like proteases：vacuolar processing enzymes（VPEs）,metacaspases and saspases have been identified in plants so far.A considerable amount of evidence supports the role of these enzymes in plant development,disease resistance and environmental stress induced programmed cell death.In the paper,we reviewed the research progress of CLPs activity,biochemical structure and physiological function.The homology of CLPs to animal caspases is also indicated.The regulation of activity and mode of action as well as role of these proteases in plant programmed cell death are future perspectives of research.