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Caspases

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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 14, 2026

Preparation of Acute Hippocampal Slices from Rats and Transgenic Mice for the Study of Synaptic Alterations during Aging and Amyloid Pathology

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Published on: March 23, 2011

Caspase-6 activity predicts lower episodic memory ability in aged individuals.

Jasmine Ramcharitar¹, Veronica M Afonso, Steffen Albrecht

¹Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Neurobiology of Aging

|February 14, 2013

Summary

Early Alzheimer

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Background:

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is characterized by early cognitive decline.
Caspase-6 (Casp6) activation is observed early in AD brains and is implicated in axonal degeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of Caspase-6 activation in early cognitive impairment in aging individuals.
To correlate Casp6 activity and specific Alzheimer's pathology markers (PHF-1 Tau, Aβ) with cognitive performance in non-cognitively impaired (NCI) aged individuals.

Main Methods:

Immunohistochemistry was used to assess Casp6 activity, PHF-1 phosphorylated Tau, and amyloid beta peptide (Aβ) pathology.
Analysis was performed on the hippocampal formation of aged NCI individuals.
Pathology scores were correlated with cognitive scores obtained shortly before death using regression analyses.

Main Results:

Casp6 activity was localized to the entorhinal cortex (ERC) and CA1 regions of the hippocampus.
ERC and CA1 Casp6 activity significantly correlated with reduced episodic memory performance.
Entorhinal cortex PHF-1 pathology predicted lower semantic and working memory performance; Aβ pathology did not correlate with cognitive scores.

Conclusions:

Caspase-6 activity and PHF-1 pathology in the ERC are associated with memory decline in aging individuals.
These findings suggest that Casp6 activity and PHF-1 immunoreactivity in the ERC can identify aged individuals at risk for developing Alzheimer's Disease.