ROLE OF PROTEASES IN ACTIVATION OF APOPTOSIS

Programmed cell death, or apoptosis, is a physiological cell suicide m echanism, which is triggered in the cells by different stimuli. It has been shown that proteases play a significant role both in the target cell killing by cytotoxic lymphocytes and in the TNF- or anti-Fas-indu ced cell death. The proteases involved in the early (induction) and la te (cell self-destruction) stages of apoptosis are reviewed. It is sug gested that the late stages are connected with the activation of a cas cade of intracellular proteases, which leads to massive protein destru ction. It is likely that the protein destruction is mainly designed fo r preventing autoimmune response to proteins released from dying cells .