Abstract
Cell death by the process of apoptosis plays important roles in development, tissue homeostasis, diseases and drug responses. The cysteine aspartyl protease caspase-9 plays a central role in the mitochondrial or intrinsic apoptotic pathway that is engaged in response to many apoptotic stimuli. Caspase-9 is activated in a large multimeric complex, the apoptosome, which is formed with apoptotic peptidase activating factor 1 (Apaf-1) in response to the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria. Once activated, caspase-9 cleaves and activates the effector caspases 3 and 7 to bring about apoptosis. This pathway is tightly regulated at multiple steps, including apoptosome formation and caspase-9 activation. Recent work has shown that caspase-9 is the direct target for regulatory phosphorylation by multiple protein kinases activated in response to extracellular growth/survival factors, osmotic stress or during mitosis. Here, we review these advances and discuss the possible roles of caspase-9 phosphorylation in the regulation of apoptosis during development and in pathological states, including cancer.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 6063-6073 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | FEBS Journal |
Volume | 276 |
Issue number | 21 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Nov 2009 |
Keywords
- apoptosis
- caspase
- mitosis
- phosphorylation
- protein kinase
- SPINDLE ASSEMBLY CHECKPOINT
- DEATH PROTEASE CASPASE-9
- CYTOCHROME-C
- CELL-DEATH
- HYPEROSMOTIC STRESS
- INHIBITORY SITE
- KINASE DYRK1A
- ACTIVATION
- PATHWAY
- APAF-1