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6815744 
Journal Article 
Caspase activation cascades in apoptosis 
Logue, SE; Martin, SJ 
2008 
Yes 
Biochemical Society Transactions
ISSN: 0300-5127
EISSN: 1470-8752 
36 
Pt 1 
1-9 
English 
18208375 
WOS:000253081000001 
Apoptosis, a highly controlled mode of cell death, is utilized to eliminate superfluous, aged, injured or infected cells from the body. Caspases, a family of aspartic acid-specific proteases, are the major effectors of apoptosis. To curtail their activity, caspases are normally synthesized as inactive precursors, but become activated at the onset of apoptosis by activation signals. Once active, caspases preside over the ordered dismantling of the cell through restricted proteolysis of hundreds of substrate proteins. Over the last 10 years, intense research has focused upon the pathways that control caspase activation. Although some, such as the apoptosome and death receptor-mediated pathways to caspase activation, are well established, others are less clearly defined. In this review, we discuss current perspectives concerning the diverse pathways to caspase activation.