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Joined: Jan 2001
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
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I am doing a presentation at work on apoptosis, a process of programmed cell death. Various enzymes and molecules are involved in the the many processes of apoptosis, but one family of enzymes that plays a central role are the caspases. I was wondering if this word has any particular etymology, although it may have none as many scientific words are, sadly, jargon devoid of etymology. I have been unable to unearth the meaning myself and I beg your assistance. TIA.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear Alex, to show my command of the obvious, most enzymes end in "-ase", so only problem is where does the 'casp-" come from. Trouble is that could be a sort of acronym for GOK (God only knows what). Nobody on the board has your background for figuring this one out. (doc_comfort hasn't posted for a long time, and wofahulicodoc surely can't find the time to read about cell biology).
Here's a URL about it, all Greek to me: http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/cdd/journal/v8/n4/abs/4400864a.html&dynoptions=doi1069875278
Only eager beavers will want to look at the above URL, and they know how to copy and paste it into Address box Here's another URL, maybe a few clues http://www.sfu.ca/mbb/mbb/faculty/pio/pio.html
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 81
journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 81 |
A few chemical names are arbitrary rearrangements of other names. One example is ribose < arabinose < gum arabic. (Trivia: did you know DNA and RNA are derived from the name Arab?)
As casp- isn't a Latin root perhaps caspase is from alteration of capsase, something that alters the capsid (protein coat, < capsa, a container)?
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
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Interesting, Jenet. Any connection, I wonder, to capsaicin?
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 81
journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 81 |
Um, my dictionary says capsicum (> capsaicin) might be from capsa, i.e. because the pepper is in a case or capsule.
Hm, Perseus Lewis & Short doesn't list capsa -- must be Late Latin -- they have capsus (i) wagon-body or coach-body, or (ii) pen, enclosure; and capsella a small box or coffer.
I just thought the caps- idea was possible, because breaking down capsids could well be akin to whatever is needed to break up cells in apoptosis.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 555
addict
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addict
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 555 |
Alex, off the top of my head, it seems to me that Caspase could be named for the specific cleaving pattern at the Aspartate (Asp). Don't think I have read this anywhere though; just came to me as a possibility since you asked. The 'c' might be short for cytoplasmic or is it cysteine? You could check with the Biochem/Cell Biology folk. As regards etymology, I have always thought that whoever names enzymes, tries hard to make them memory-friendly. Etymologically, they invariably can be traced back to the specific biochemical reaction they catalyse. At least all the names that are rushing through my head seem to - phosphorylase, reductase, transferase, ligase, carboxylase...all have rather strong etymological clues don't they? Hope this helps.
did you know DNA and RNA are derived from the name Arab?) Hi Jenet! First time I am hearing of this; always thought of it as a simple deoxyribonucleic acid. Do tell us more; am very curious.
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Joined: Nov 2003
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journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 81 |
Already given most of it: but the ribo- of words like ribonucleic is from a sugar ribose, which is said to be (if Chambers is to be trusted on this) an alteration of arabinose, which is a sugar that comes from arabin, the essential substance of gum arabic.
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Joined: Oct 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Jenet, that is great! gum arabic is one of those 'things' that i know about, (its a common ingredient in many confections, and i have even seen it listed as an ingredient to add to foods{ie, in a recipe}, but i have never seen it for sale!)
isn't it wonderful how words turn and turn again, and reappear in all sorts of wonderful ways!
what a wonderful food/chemistry word to learn... thank you!
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member
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member
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'caspase' means 'cysteine aspartase'. now, the question is where the 'asparta-' comes from
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
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where the 'asparta-' comes from Asparagus
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