This gene encodes a protein that is a member of the cysteine-aspartic acid protease (caspase) family. Sequential activation of caspases plays a central role in the execution-phase of cell apoptosis. Caspases exist as inactive proenzymes composed of a prodomain and a large and small protease subunit. Activation of caspases requires proteolytic processing at conserved internal aspartic residues to generate a heterodimeric enzyme consisting of the large and small subunits. This caspase is able to cleave and activate its own precursor protein, as well as caspase 1 precursor. When overexpressed, this gene induces cell apoptosis. Alternative splicing results in transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms. Alias Symbols: ICE(rel)II, ICEREL-II, ICH-2, Mih1/TX, TX Protein Interaction Partner: MYH9, ELF4, APP, TRAF6, PLA2G4A, NOD1, CASP14, CASP4, APAF1, SERPINB9, CASP10, IL18, CASP3, IL1B, DSP, PSEN1, IL37, CASP8, CASP1, XIAP, MYCBPAP, SLC25A22, SRPRB, CTNNBIP1, DNAAF5, MTHFD1L, UFL1, GCN1L1, SMC2, NUP93, SMC3, SMC1A, USP9X, VDAC3, PSMB1, MSH6, Protein Size: 321