This gene encodes a member of the cysteine-aspartic acid protease (caspase) family of enzymes. Sequential activation of caspases plays a central role in the execution-phase of cell apoptosis. Caspases exist as inactive proenzymes which undergo proteolytic processing at conserved aspartic acid residues to produce two subunits, large and small, that dimerize to form the active enzyme. This protein is processed by caspases 7, 8 and 10, and is thought to function as a downstream enzyme in the caspase activation cascade. Alternative splicing of this gene results in multiple transcript variants that encode different isoforms. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2015],catalytic activity:Strict requirement for Asp at position P1 and has a preferred cleavage sequence of Val-Glu-His-Asp-|-.,enzyme regulation:Activation is suppressed by phosphorylation at Ser-257.,function:Involved in the activation cascade of caspases responsible for apoptosis execution. Cleaves poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in vitro, as well as lamins. Overexpression promotes programmed cell death.,PTM:Cleavages by caspase-3, caspase-8 or -10 generate the two active subunits.,similarity:Belongs to the peptidase C14A family.,subunit:Heterotetramer that consists of two anti-parallel arranged heterodimers, each one formed by a 18 kDa (p18) and a 11 kDa (p11) subunit.,
