Human caspase-12 materials and methods

A purified and isolated caspase polypeptide comprising at least about 20 contiguous amino acids of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOS:

• 2, 4, 6, 8, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73, 75, 77 and 79.

A purified and isolated polynucleotide that is at least about 98% identical to 100 contiguous nucleotides of a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOS:

• 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78 and the non-coding strands thereof, said polynucleotide encoding a caspase polypeptide.

A purified and isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOS:

• 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78 and fragments thereof of at least about 18 consecutive nucleotides that specifically hybridizes to any one of SEQ ID NOS:
• 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76 or 78.

A purified and isolated polynucleotide that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOS:

• 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78 and the non-coding strands thereof, said polynucleotide encoding a caspase polypeptide.

A host cell modified to promote transcription or translation of a human caspase-12 polynucleotide.

A method for identifying a candidate activator of human caspase-12 comprising the steps of:

• contacting a composition comprising a caspase polypeptide lacking an active site sequence, a caspase polypeptide having an active site sequence and a substrate, and
• measuring enzymatic activity of said composition in the presence and absence of a test compound,
• wherein a change in enzymatic activity means that the test compound is a candidate modulator.

A method for treating a disorder involving inappropriate apoptosis comprising the step of administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a novel inhibitor of human caspase-12.

A method for treating a disorder involving excessive cell proliferation comprising the step of administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a human caspase-12.

A method of delivering a human caspase-12 polynucleotide to a subject comprising administering a vector comprising said human caspase-12 polynucleotide to said subject.