PEPTIDE INHIBITORS OF THE ICE PROTEASE FAMILY ARREST PROGRAMMED CELL-DEATH OF MOTONEURONS IN-VIVO AND IN-VITRO

Members of the CED-3/interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme (ICE) protea se family have been implicated in cell death in both invertebrates and vertebrates. in this report, we show that peptide inhibitors of ICE a rrest the programmed cell death of motoneurons in vitro as a result of trophic factor deprivation and in vivo during the period of naturally occurring cell death. In addition, interdigital cells that die during development are also rescued in animals treated with ICE inhibitors. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence that ICE or a n ICE-like protease plays a regulatory role not only in vertebrate mot oneuron death but also in the developmentally regulated deaths of othe r cells in vivo.