Caspase-6 (CASP6) is a ~33 kDa protein. Cysteine protease that plays essential roles in programmed cell death, axonal degeneration, development and innate immunity. Acts as a non-canonical executioner caspase during apoptosis: localizes in the nucleus and cleaves the nuclear structural protein NUMA1 and lamin A/LMNA thereby inducing nuclear shrinkage and fragmentation. Lamin-A/LMNA cleavage is required for chromatin condensation and nuclear disassembly during apoptotic execution. Acts as a regulator of liver damage by promoting hepatocyte apoptosis: in absence of phosphorylation by AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), catalyzes cleavage of BID, leading to cytochrome c release, thereby participating in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Cleaves PARK7/DJ-1 in cells undergoing apoptosis. 1. Klaiman, G. et al. (2009) Biochimica et biophysica acta 1793, 592-601. PMID: 191332982. van Raam, BJ. et al. (2013) Cell death and differentiation 20, 86-96. PMID: 228585423. Hill, ME. et al. (2016) ACS chemical biology 11, 1603-12. PMID: 270320394. Dagbay, KB. et al. (2017) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 114, E7977-E7986. PMID: 288645315. MacPherson, DJ. et al. (2019) The Journal of biological chemistry 294, 71-88. PMID: 304204257. Orth, K. et al. (1996) The Journal of biological chemistry 271, 16443-6. PMID: 86635808. Ruchaud, S. et al. (2002) The EMBO journal 21, 1967-77. PMID: 119533169. Lin, HH. et al. (2007) Journal of biomedical science 14, 681-94. PMID: 17401638 | 
