Caspase-11 (17D9) Rat mAb

Caspases are a family of aspartate-specific cysteine-dependent proteases that play a critical role in apoptosis as well as inflammatory responses. Pro-inflammatory caspases include caspase-1 and mouse caspase-11 (1). Caspase-11 has about 60% and 55% identity to human caspases-4 and -5, respectively. Caspase-1 cleaves inflammatory cytokines such as pro-IL-1β and IL-18 into their mature forms (2). It is activated by proteolytic cleavage producing a tetramer of its two active subunits, p20 and p10. Canonical activation of caspase-1 occurs through several complex molecular platforms designated “inflammasomes” that include Pycard/Asc, nucleotide-binding oligomerization receptors (NLRs), and AIM2 (3, 4). Non-canonical activation of caspase-1 is triggered by caspase-11, which is transcriptionally induced by toll-like receptor ligands including LPS. Activation of this pathway induces inflammatory cytokines as well as pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death (5-9). Pyroptosis may be specific for caspase-11, rather than caspase-1, suggesting a unique mechanism for protease. 1.Ng, T.M. and Monack, D.M. (2013) Cell Host Microbe 14, 9-14. 2.Thornberry, N.A. et al. (1992) Nature 356, 768-74. 3.Martinon, F. et al. (2002) Mol Cell 10, 417-26. 4.Lamkanfi, M. and Dixit, V.M. (2014) Cell 157, 1013-22. 5.Hagar, J.A. et al. (2013) Science 341, 1250-3. 6.Kayagaki, N. et al. (2013) Science 341, 1246-9. 7.Aachoui, Y. et al. (2013) Science 339, 975-8. 8.Broz, P. et al. (2012) Nature 490, 288-91. 9.Kayagaki, N. et al. (2011) Nature 479, 117-21.