P4: Novel caspase functions
Caspases in sub-lethal and lethal signalling (PI Georg Häcker)
The family of caspase cysteine proteases have well-described roles in apoptosis although the proteolytic contribution of individual caspases and caspase-substrates to cell death is not well defined. It is now becoming clear that the apoptosis pathway can also be activated to a ‘sub-lethal’ level where the cell does not die but important signalling events can be recorded. We have recently reported that such signalling is initiated during infection with all tested pathogens. The role of individual caspases to this signalling is basically unknown. A number of caspases are candidates for a contribution to these signalling events, which very likely have both up- and down-regulating functions.
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Brokatzky et al., EMBO J. 2019