Caspase-6 (also known as Mch2) is a member of the caspase family of cysteine proteases involved in apoptosis. It is a member of the Group III caspases (6, 8, and 9) which prefer the (L/V)EXD sequence as a substrate. Caspase-6 prefers a hydrophobic amino acid at P4 , along with caspases-1 and -4, as opposed to the preference for Asp seen with caspases-2, -3, and -7. This is at odds with the gene sequence alignment that predicts Caspase-6 is more closely related to caspases-3 and -7 than to caspase-1. The preference by Caspase-6 for ?-branched amino acids in P4 fits well with the one known natural substrate, lamin A, and distinguishes it from caspases-1 and -4. Reconstitution experiments indicate that Caspase-6 activates caspases-3 and -7 and is therefore part of the proteolytic cascade that initiates apoptosis.
A reversible inhibitor of caspase-6. May also cause some inhibition of caspase-3. Inhibition of caspase-6 in cell extracts. Methylated peptideFMK inhibitors (eg. Caspase-6 Inhibitor, ABIN924914) are superior for use on live cells.
It is recommended that stock solutions be prepared in high-purity DMSO (99.9%), and then diluted into aqueous medium. Stock solutions should not be stored.