This entry represents caspase-12 (CASP12). In mice, caspase-12 is associated with apoptosis resulting from endoplasmic reticulum stress []. In humans, CASP12 is inactive because of a number of mutations, including a frame shift mutation and a premature stop codon, as well as site-specific mutations affecting the SHG motif around the active site histidine []. Different isoforms of the protein are generated, with a form known as Csp12-L more prevalent in Africans and African-Americans, which confers hypo-responsiveness to lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cytokine production and may promote greater sensitivity to sepsis [].
