Partial Purification and Characterization of Two Distinct Types of Caspases from Human Epidermis

In this study, researchers partially purified and characterized two distinct caspase-like proteases, F-I and F-II, from human epidermis. F-I, similar to caspase-3, had a molecular weight of 30 kDa and was involved in cleaving PARP, indicating its role in apoptosis. F-II, with a molecular weight of 110 kDa, showed broader substrate specificity and was suggested to be a complex of multiple caspases. The study highlighted the involvement of multiple caspases in the apoptosis and terminal differentiation of keratinocytes, contributing to the understanding of epidermal biology.