Caspases are cysteine proteases that play a central role in apoptosis.

Caspase-8 (FLICE) (MIM.601763) may be the first enzyme of the proteolytic cascade that is activated by the FAS ligand (FASL) (MIM.134638) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) (MIM.191160).

Caspase-8 is recruited to FAS (MIM.134637) and TNF receptor-1 (TNFR1) (MIM.191190) through interaction of its prodomain with the death effector domain (DED) of the receptor-associating protein FADD (MIM.602457).

References

 Thome M, Tschopp J: Regulation of lymphocyte proliferation and death by FLIP. Nat Rev Immunol 1:50, 2001.