PROPERTIES OF THE CASPASES

Caspases comprise a structurally related group of cysteine proteases t hat share a dominant primary specificity for cleaving peptide bonds fo llowing Asp residues. Present in the cytosol of all animals, the caspa ses participate in proteolytic pathways required for executing program med cell death, or apoptosis. In mammals the caspases have also evolve d a function in activating proinflammatory cytokines. We review the cu rrent knowledge of the substrate specificity, structure, and activatio n mechanisms of human caspases and relate these findings to their fund amental biologic role. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reser ved.