Caspase -1 plays a vital role in cleaving the inactive procytokine pro-IL-1 beta to generate the active 17 kd mature form of IL-1beta, a key mediator of inflammation. Active caspase-1 (ICE) is derived a single proenzyme of 45 Kd. An active ICE comprises two subunits of P20 and two subunits of P10 after removal a large amino-terminal pro-domain and a small linker peptide. Caspase-1 is reported to be involved in CD95- mediated apoptosis. Four alternatively spliced variants of caspase-1 have been reported, with mw ranging from 30-48 kd.