Caspase-1, or interleukin-1ß converting enzyme (ICE/ICEα), is a class I cysteine protease, which also includes caspases -4, -5, -11, and -12. Caspase-1 promotes maturation of interleukin IL-1∫ and interleukin18 (IL-18) by proteolytic cleavage of precursor forms into biologically active pro-inflamatory cytokines. Active caspase-1, a (p20/p10)2 tetramer, is necessary and sufficient for cleavage of precursor IL-1 as well as for induction of apoptosis in some cell lines. The human Caspase-1 gene maps to chromosome 2q14 and encodes a cytoplasmic protein expressed in liver, heart, skeletal muscle kidney and testis. Caspase-1 has been implicated in inflammation, septic shock, and other situations such as wound healing and the growth of certain leukemias.
