Caspase-8, human recombinant protein

Caspase-8 (also called FLICE, MASH, Mch5) belongs to the caspase-family of cysteine proteases. Caspase-8 like other caspases also exists in cells as an inactive proenzyme. Sequential activation of caspases plays a key role in the execution-phase of cell apoptosis. Caspases exist as inactive proenzymescomposed of a prodomain, a large and a small protease subunit. The N-terminal FADD-like death effector domain of this protein suggests that it may interact with Fas-interacting protein FADD. Active caspase-8 has been demonstrated to activate caspase-3 leading to degradation of a various of cellular target proteins during apoptosis. The recombinant active human caspase-8 was expressed in E. coli.