Caspase Family

The caspase family comprises a group of cysteine proteases that play essential roles in programmed cell death (apoptosis), inflammation, and cellular differentiation. They are synthesized as inactive zymogens (procaspases) and activated by proteolytic cleavage. They are divided into functional groups: Inflammatory, Apoptotic Initiators, Apoptotic Effectors, and Differentiation. Caspases cleave substrates specifically after aspartic acid residues within defined tetrapeptide motifs. Altered regulation or mutation is implicated in diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, autoimmune conditions and inflammatory diseases, representing important therapeutic targets.

Caspases are cysteine proteases that cleave specific target proteins after aspartic acid residues, leading to various cellular effects depending on the specific caspase and substrate.