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Related Concept Videos

Caspases01:24

Caspases

Caspase, a family of cysteine proteases, serve as effectors in apoptosis. The ced3 gene in C.elegans was first identified to be involved in apoptosis. This gene encodes the ced-3 caspase that is similar to the interleukin-1-beta converting enzyme or ICE in mammals. In addition to apoptosis, caspases also function in the inflammatory response. Inflammatory caspases are essential in activating pro-inflammatory cytokines that recruit immune cells and block the replication of pathogens inside cells.
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:17

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The extrinsic apoptotic pathway is initiated when extracellular death-inducing signals, such as specific cytokines, activate the death receptors expressed on the cell surface. The immune cells involved in this pathway are natural killer cells (NK cells) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. NK cells are critical in innate immune response, while cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are associated with adaptive immune response. These cells recognize specific receptors expressed on the altered cells and activate...
CRISPR and crRNAs02:53

CRISPR and crRNAs

Bacteria and archaea are susceptible to viral infections just like eukaryotes; therefore, they have developed a unique adaptive immune system to protect themselves. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated proteins (CRISPR-Cas) are present in more than 45% of known bacteria and 90% of known archaea.
The CRISPR-Cas system stores a copy of foreign DNA in the host genome and uses it to identify the foreign DNA upon reinfection. CRISPR-Cas has three different...
Apoptosis01:30

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a combination of two Greek words, 'apo' and 'ptosis,' meaning separation and falling off, respectively. Hippocrates used this word to describe gangrene, which was caused due to bandaging of fractured bones. Apoptosis was distinguished from necrosis in 1970 when John Kerr reported observations of morphological changes occurring during apoptosis. During one experiment, he observed that the disruption of blood supply to the liver tissue resulted in a size reduction of the tissue.
CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing01:28

CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing

The CRISPR-Cas system serves as a bacterial defense mechanism against invading genetic elements such as viruses and plasmids, forming the foundation for its adaptation as a powerful genome-editing tool. Originally discovered in prokaryotes, this system has been repurposed to revolutionize genetic engineering across a wide range of organisms, including plants, animals, and humans. The core component, Cas9, is an endonuclease derived from Streptococcus pyogenes, capable of introducing...

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The insect caspases.

Dawn M Cooper1, David J Granville, Carl Lowenberger

  • 1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The James Hogg iCAPTURE Centre for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Research, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada. dcooper@mrl.ubc.ca

Apoptosis : an International Journal on Programmed Cell Death
|February 13, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Insect caspases, crucial for programmed cell death and tissue balance, are poorly understood. New genome data offers a chance to study these vital proteins across diverse insect species.

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Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Cellular homeostasis relies on balancing cell proliferation and programmed cell death.
  • Caspases, a family of cysteine proteases, are key regulators of apoptosis.
  • Knowledge of insect caspases remains limited compared to other organisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the diversity and evolutionary patterns of caspases in insects.
  • To provide insights into the function and regulation of insect caspases.
  • To leverage new insect genome sequences for comprehensive caspase family analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Bioinformatic analysis of newly available insect genome sequences.
  • Comparative genomics to identify and characterize caspase genes.
  • Phylogenetic analysis to understand evolutionary relationships.

Main Results:

  • Identification of putative caspases in various insect genomes, including mosquitoes, Lepidoptera, Tribolium castaneum, and Acyrthosiphon pisum.
  • Characterization of initiator and effector caspases in model organisms like Drosophila melanogaster.
  • Establishing a foundation for comparative studies of caspase evolution across insects.

Conclusions:

  • New insect genome sequences are invaluable resources for studying caspase evolution.
  • Comparative analysis of insect caspases will illuminate their roles in development and homeostasis.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the function and regulation of insect caspases.