Description Caspase-8 (MACH/FLICE/Mch5) is a member of a family of cysteine-requiring aspartate proteases that participate in the intracellular signaling cascade leading to apoptosis, or programmed cell death (1-4). Caspase-8 is recruited to death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) CD95 (Fas/APO-1) and tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) and is subsequently activated by proteolytic cleavage into two residues, p10 and p18 (1-4). Active caspase-8, the first in the caspase signaling cascade, signals downstream caspases to eventually induce apoptosis. |