caspase
Noun
Meaning
any of a group of proteases that mediate apoptosis
Source: WordNetHypernyms
Examples
A caspase 8 knock-out leads to cardiac failure and thus embryonic lethality.
A caspase 9 knock-out leads to a severe brain malformation.
Apaf-1 is the protein that turns on caspase 9 by cleavage to begin the caspase cascade that leads to apoptosis.
However, with the use of cre-lox technology, a caspase 8 knock-out has been created that exhibits an increase in peripheral T cells, an impaired T cell response, and a defect in neural tube closure.
Lamin cleavage is sometimes used as a laboratory indicator of caspase activity in assays for early apoptotic activity.
Finally, a caspase 3 knock-out was characterized by ectopic cell masses in the brain and abnormal apoptotic features such as membrane blebbing or nuclear fragmentation.