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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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Preparation of Synaptic Plasma Membrane and Postsynaptic Density Proteins Using a Discontinuous Sucrose Gradient

Preparation of Synaptic Plasma Membrane and Postsynaptic Density Proteins Using a Discontinuous Sucrose Gradient

Published on: September 3, 2014

Proteomic identification of synaptic caspase substrates.

Ken G Victor¹, Daniel S Heffron¹, Jennifer D Sokolowski¹

¹Department of Pathology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Synapse (New York, N.Y.)

|September 30, 2017

Summary

This study identifies novel caspase targets in brain synapses, crucial for understanding neurodegeneration and synaptic pruning. These findings may lead to biomarkers for synapse loss in diseases like Alzheimer's.

Keywords:

apoptosis caspase cleavage mass spectrometry presynaptic proteolytic synaptic

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Last Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Preparation of Synaptic Plasma Membrane and Postsynaptic Density Proteins Using a Discontinuous Sucrose Gradient

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Published on: September 3, 2014

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Quantification of Immunostained Caspase-9 in Retinal Tissue

Quantification of Immunostained Caspase-9 in Retinal Tissue

Published on: July 25, 2022

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Molecular Biology
Biochemistry

Background:

Synaptic pruning is vital for brain development and implicated in neurodegenerative diseases.
Caspase-mediated pathways contribute to neuronal dysfunction and death in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases.
Identifying caspase targets is key to understanding synapse elimination.

Purpose of the Study:

To conduct the first global analysis of caspase-mediated cleavage events in mammalian brain synapses.
To identify and catalog synapse-specific or synapse-enriched caspase targets.
To provide insights into caspase roles in synaptic plasticity and neurodegeneration.

Main Methods:

Utilized a gel-based proteomics approach for global analysis.
Employed both in vitro (recombinant caspases) and in vivo (ethanol-induced apoptosis) models.
Validated novel targets using Western blot.

Main Results:

Identified over 70 putative caspase cleavage substrates in brain synapses.
Confirmed 22 known caspase substrates.
Discovered and validated novel targets, including ATP6V1B2 and NSF.

Conclusions:

This work presents the first comprehensive proteome-wide screen for caspase targets in neuronal synapses.
Findings advance understanding of caspases in synaptic plasticity and loss.
Identified targets may serve as biomarkers for synapse loss in human diseases.