Metacaspases are not caspases--always doubt.

摘要

We read with great interest a recent editorial in CDD by Carmona-Gutierrez et al. with the provocative title of 'Metacaspases are caspases. Doubt no more'. We agree with the authors that there has been some confusion over the years since the unfortunate naming of the distant caspase orthologs known as 'metacaspases' and 'paracaspases', and that this confusion has led to misinterpretations in the field of cell death mechanisms. The great philosopher Karl Popper is famous for his attempt to reject the classical observationalist/ inductivist approach to science and to advance empirical falsification in its place: scientists can never prove anything, they can only disprove a thing. Clearly there is always doubt - it would be antiscientific to suggest otherwise - and we suggest that metacaspases have in fact been proven not to be caspases.