Caspase家族与细胞凋亡的关系

Relationship of Caspase family and apoptosis

凋亡是导致细胞死亡的调节性生理过程。Caspase半胱氨酸蛋白酶家族引发的级联反应是细胞凋亡过程的中心环节,其激活主要包括线粒体依赖途径和死亡受体介导的信号转导途径,激活后的下游Caspase,通过切割特异性底物,导致细胞凋亡。现以Caspase家族与细胞凋亡的关系为主,对Caspase基因家族生物学特性、调控细胞凋亡的分子机制进行综述。

Apoptosis is a regulatory physiological process to cell death.The signal cascade triggered by caspases plays a key role in apoptosis.The two main apoptotic signal pathways are the cytochrome c/dATP-dependent one and that triggered by death receptors.Effector caspases activated by initiator caspases,which subsequently cleave death substrates and lead to apoptosis.The review rests on the relationship between caspases and apoptosis,and illustrates their biological characteristics and molecular mechanisms of the functional role.