The cysteine protease caspase-8 plays an essential role in apoptosis induced by death receptors. The protein synthesis inhibitor acetoxycycloheximide (Ac-CHX) has been previously shown to induce rapid apoptosis mediated by the release of cytochrome c in human leukemia Jurkat cells. In this study, the novel molecular mechanism that links caspase-8 to the mitochondrial release of pro-apoptotic pr...

Abstract Background Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) plays an important role in mediating inflammatory responses during ischemic stroke. Bile acid Takeda-G-protein-receptor-5 (TGR5) has been identified as component regulating brain responses. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of TGR5 alleviating neuroinflammation after ...

Caspase-8 governs multiple cell responses to the microenvironmental cues. However, its integration of "death-life" signalings remains elusive. In our study, the role of caspase-8-Src is well-established as a promoter for migration or metastasis in Casp8(+)Src(+) A549/H226 cells in vivo and in vitro. In particular for nude mice models, mice implanted with Casp8(+)Src(+) A459/H226 cells remarkabl...

Ubiquitination of caspase-8 regulates TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) sensitivity in cancer cells, and the preligand assembly complex plays a role in caspase-8 polyubiquitination. However, whether such a complex exists in gastric cancer cells and its role in TRAIL-triggered apoptosis is unclear. In this study, DR5, casitas B-lineage lymphoma-b (Cbl-b)/c-Cbl, and TRAF2 formed a com...

We have identified and characterized CLARP, a caspase-like apoptosis-regulatory protein. Sequence analysis revealed that human CLARP contains two amino-terminal death effector domains fused to a carboxyl-terminal caspase-like domain. The structure and amino acid sequence of CLARP resemble those of caspase-8, caspase-10, and DCP2, a Drosophila melanogaster protein identified in this study. Unlik...