Cell
Volume 75, Issue 4, 19 November 1993, Pages 641-652
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Article
The C. elegans cell death gene ced-3 encodes a protein similar to mammalian interleukin-1β-converting enzyme

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Abstract

We have cloned the C. elegans cell death gene ced-3. A ced-3 transcript is most abundant during embryogenesis, the stage during which most programmed cell deaths occur. The predicted CED-3 protein shows similarity to human and murine interleukin-1β-converting enzyme and to the product of the mouse nedd-2 gene, which is expressed in the embryonic brain. The sequences of 12 ced-3 mutations as well as the sequences of ced-3 genes from two related nematode species identify sites of potential functional importance. We propose that the CED-3 protein acts as a cysteine protease in the initiation of programmed cell death in C. elegans and that cysteine proteases also function in programmed cell death in mammals.

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    §

    Present address: Neuroimmunology Laboratory, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.

    Present address: Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322.

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