Caspase-10, also designated Mch4, is recruited to the native TRAIL and CD9 death-inducing signaling complexes (DISCs) by the FADD/Mort1 adaptor protein complex. Caspase-10 requires the assembly of the FADD and DISC complexes for its recruitment and cleavage-induced activation during CD95-induced apoptosis of activated T cells. The N-terminus of caspase-10 contains FADD-like death effector domains further indicating that it associates with FADD to induce apoptosis. Caspase-10 is not required for apoptosis induction and when overexpressed, cannot reverse defects in apoptosis induction caused by caspase-8 deficiency. Granzyme B cleaves procaspase-10 at an IXXD-A processing sequence to produce mature caspase-10. Mutations in the caspase-10 gene in the prodomain, p17 large protease subunit and p12 small protease subunit have been linked to a number of non-Hodgkin lymphomas in humans.
