What is the function of APAF-1?
Apoptotic protease activating factor-1 (Apaf-1) is a key molecule in the intrinsic or mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, which oligomerizes in response to cytochrome c release and forms a large complex known as apoptosome.
Is APAF-1 a caspase?
Apaf-1 is a multidomain adapter protein containing an N-terminal caspase recruitment domain (CARD), followed by a nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain (NOD, also known as NB-ARC) that is homologous to CED-4 in Caenorhabditis elegans, and a C-terminal regulatory Y-domain composed of 12–13 WD40 repeats (WDRs).
What does APAF1 stand for?
Apoptotic protease activating factor 1
Apoptotic protease activating factor 1, also known as APAF1, is a human homolog of C. elegans CED-4 gene.
What does an apoptosome do?
Overview: The Role of the Mammalian Apoptosome The apoptosome is a quaternary protein – an enzyme – that forms during apoptosis (or programmed cell death). Its function is not to directly keep cellular homeostasis nor disassemble damaged, infected or cancerous cells.
How does caspase 9 work?
Active caspase-9 works as an initiating caspase by cleaving, thus activating downstream executioner caspases, initiating apoptosis. Once activated, caspase-9 goes on to cleave caspase-3, -6, and -7, initiating the caspase cascade as they cleave several other cellular targets.
How many cytochrome c is required to form an apoptosome?
seven individual
The activation is accomplished through oligomerization of seven individual Apaf-1/cytochrome c complexes into a wheel-like heptamer, called apoptosome (16, 19).
What is apoptosome formation?
The apoptosome is a large quaternary protein structure formed in the process of apoptosis. Its formation is triggered by the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria in response to an internal (intrinsic) or external (extrinsic) cell death stimulus.
How does apoptosome activate caspase?
The results demonstrate that the Apaf-1 apoptosome activates caspase-9 by two means: suppressing the inhibition mediated by the caspase recruitment domains (CARD) domain and stimulating the catalytic activity of the protease domain.