The caspase-3 antibody recognizes caspase-3, a member of the peptidase C14A family of enzymes. It is widely expressed and is an integral component of the apoptotic cascade. Caspase-3 is considered to be the major executioner caspase; that is, the primary downstream mediator of apoptotic associated proteolysis. Human pro-caspase-3 is a 32 kDa, 277 amino acid (aa) protein. Normally, it is an inactive, cytosolic homodimer, but following an upstream signal that activates processing proteases, pro-caspase-3 undergoes proteolytic cleavage. Multiple proteases can use caspase 3 as a substrate including caspase-6, -8, and -10, granzyme B, and caspase-3 itself. Active caspase-3 is known to utilize a Cys residue to cleave multiple substrates, including PARP, proIL16, PKCγ & δ, pro-caspases-6, -7 and -9, and βcatenin. Caspase-3 the predominant caspase involved in the cleavage of amyloid-beta 4A precursor protein, which is associated with neuronal death in Alzheimer's disease. Alternative splicing of this gene results in two transcript variants that encode the same protein. This caspase-3 polyclonal antibody detects endogenous levels of caspase-3 protein.