REVIEW: Plant Proteases Involved in Regulated Cell Death

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A. A. Zamyatnin, Jr.^1,2

¹Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Institute of Molecular Medicine, 119991 Moscow, Russia

²Lomonosov Moscow State University, Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, 119991 Moscow, Russia; E-mail: zamyat@belozersky.msu.ru

Received August 28, 2015

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Each plant genome encodes hundreds of proteolytic enzymes. These enzymes can be divided into five distinct classes: cysteine-, serine-, aspartic-, threonine-, and metalloproteinases. Despite the differences in their structural properties and activities, members of all of these classes in plants are involved in the processes of regulated cell death – a basic feature of eukaryotic organisms. Regulated cell death in plants is an indispensable mechanism supporting plant development, survival, stress responses, and defense against pathogens. This review summarizes recent advances in studies of plant proteolytic enzymes functioning in the initiation and execution of distinct types of regulated cell death.

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KEY WORDS: programmed cell death, PCD, apoptosis, autophagy, vacuolar processing enzyme, metacaspase, phytaspase, papain-like protease, proteasome

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297915130064

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