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Probing and controlling cellular remodeling enzymes
Author(s) -
Wells James A.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.195.1
Subject(s) - proteases , caspase , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , inflammation , programmed cell death , enzyme , cell , apoptosis , cell fate determination , cleave , biochemistry , immunology , gene , transcription factor
A group of cellular proteases known as caspases are responsible for a number of fate‐determining steps in higher eukaryotic cell biology including cell death, innate inflammatory responses, cell differentiation, and many other cellular remodeling events. My lab has been developing engineered enzymes to identify the proteins that caspases cleave, and generating new enzymes, small molecules and antibodies to control specific caspase activities in cells. These new tools allow us to dissect the roles these cellular remodelers play, as well to generate new protein and small molecules that may be useful in diagnosing and controlling cancer and inflammation.