Cut and die: proteolytic cascades regulating apoptosis.

Cell death by apoptosis is an amazing mechanism which plays a primary function in governing both development and tissue homeostasis in multicellular organisms. Different cells, from nematodes to humans, utilize the same evolutionary conserved genetic program controlling apoptosis. The key event in the execution of the suicide program is the activation of specific proteases belonging to the caspase family (cysteine protease specific for aspartic residues). Following their activation, caspases process key substrates which probably orchestrate the complex cellular changes that mark apoptosis. This review will focus on the recent advances in our understanding of the proteolytic events regulating apoptosis.