So far, 10 different members of the caspase-family were identified
in mammals. According to a unified nomenclature, the caspases are referred
to in the order of their publication: so Caspase-1 is ICE
(Interleukin-1beta-Converting Enzyme)¸ the first aspartate-specific
cystein protease described.
The following table lists the 10 known caspases and some additional
information:
Caspase |
Other names |
Size and subunits |
Substrates |
Cleavage motif |
Caspase-1 |
ICE |
proenzyme: |
Pro-IL-1ß
U1-70 kDa ? PARP ? Pro-Caspases-1, -3, -4 |
YVHD - A
DGPD - G DEVD- G |
Caspase-2 |
Nedd2, ICH-1 |
proenzyme: |
PARP ? | DEVD - G |
Caspase-3 |
CPP32, YAMA, apopain |
proenzyme: |
PARP
U1-70 kDa DNA-PK (cs) Protein Kinase C delta Huntingtin SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 Rb DNA Frag. Factor (DFF) |
DEVD - G
DGPD - G DEVD - N DMQD - N DXXD DEPD - S DEAD - G DETD-S/DAVD-T |
Caspase-4 |
ICE(rel)II, TX, ICH-2 |
proenzyme: |
Similiar to Caspase-1 substrate specificity ??? | |
Caspase-5 |
ICE(rel)III, TY |
proenzyme: |
||
Caspase-6 |
Mch2 |
proenzyme: |
Lamin A
PARP ? U1-70 kDa ? |
VEID - N
DEVD - G DGPD - G |
Caspase-7 |
Mch3, ICE-LAP3, CMH-1 |
proenzyme: |
PARP
Substrate range like Caspase-3 ??? |
DEVD - G
|
Caspase-8 |
MACH, FLICE, Mch5 |
proenzyme: |
All other Pro-Caspases | |
Caspase-9 |
ICE-LAP6, Mch6 |
proenzyme: |
PARP ?
Pro-Caspase-3 |
DEVD - G |
Caspase-10 |
Mch4 |
proenzyme: |
All other Pro-Caspases |
The contents of that Table were combined from: Alnemri, E.S., 1997, J. Cell. Biochem., 64: 33-42 and Cohen, G.M., 1997, Biochem. J., 326: 1-16) and the SWISS PROT databank. The question mark signals that the physiological relevance is not yet clear.
Phylogenetic analysis of the caspases revealed that the caspases belong to three different subfamilies: The ICE subfamily: caspases-1, -4, and -5; The CED-3/CPP32 subfamily: caspases-3, -6, -7, -8, -9 and -10; The ICH-1/Nedd2 family: caspase-2.
References for all sections about Caspases (mainly Reviews):
Cohen, 1997, Biochem. J., 326: 1-16 (Review);
Alnemri, 1997, J. Cell. Biochem., 64: 33-42 (Review);
Salvesen/Dixit, 1997, Cell, 91: 443-446 (Review);
Wyllie, 1997, Br. Med. Bull., vol.53, No.3 (Review);
Alnemri et al., 1996, Cell, 87: p121 (Nomenclature);