Caspases find a new place to hide
Article Abstract:
The endoplasmic reticulum has been found to be a third sub-cellular compartment implicated in apoptotic execution. This research has also provided evidence connecting activation of the apoptotic enzyme caspase-12 with Alzheimer's disease. It has been shown that caspase-12 localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum and is specifically involved in the apoptosis that is caused by stress in the endoplasmic reticulum. It appears that the main role of caspase-12 is to permit apoptosis in cells permanently damaged by stress signals from the endoplasmic reticulum.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 2000
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Caspase-12 mediates endoplasmic-reticulum-specific apoptosis and cytotoxicity by amyloid-beta
Article Abstract:
It has been possible to identify a new caspase-12-mediated apoptosis pathway in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). It seems that caspase-12 is required for apoptosis induced by a range of ER-directed pro-apoptosis signals. These include amyloid-beta neurotoxicity in cortical neurons. Caspase-12 is activated by ER stress, but not by membrane- or mitochondrial-targeted apoptotic signals. It is suggested that the human orthologue of caspase-12 could be a potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 2000
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New way to activate caspases
Article Abstract:
Most cells must be linked to a sell-produced external meshwork, the extracellular matrix, for survival. A new interpretation of the role of arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) peptides in apoptosis has been provided by Buckley and colleagues. They propose that the soluble RGD peptides activate a caspase in the cell cytoplasm, and have shown that RGD peptides activate procaspase-3 specifically, isolated from cells by immunoprecipitation.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1999
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