Description
General description
Research area: Cell Signaling
Cathepsin D is a soluble endosomal-lysosomal aspartic protease and is synthesized in the rough endoplasmic reticulum as preprocathepsin D. It is encoded by the CTSD gene located in the 11p15.5 region.
Application
Cathepsin D from bovine spleen has been used:
in in vitro dose-dependent fluorometric activity assays.
in in vitro myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) digestion to study the uptake of malondialdehyde (MDA)-modified MOG and its implications in central nervous system autoimmunity.
for enzymatic digestion of the proteoglycan moiety of the articular cartilage in order to determine its dynamic elastic modulus at two different levels of tissue organization.
in cathepsin D activity assay.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Cathepsin D is an endosomal-lysosomal aspartic protease implicated in breast cancer metastasis and Alzheimer′s disease. Lysosomal release of cathepsin D has been found to precede cytochrome c release and loss of membrane potential in apoptotic human foreskin fibroblasts. Cathepsin D levels in PC12 cells increase 12 to 24 hours after apoptosis is induced.
Endosomal-lysosomal aspartic protease implicated in breast cancer metastasis and Alzheimer′s disease. Lysosomal release of cathepsin D has been found to precede cytochrome c release and loss of membrane potential in apoptotic human foreskin fibroblasts.
Physical form
Lyophilized powder containing citrate buffer salts
Other Notes
One unit will produce an increase in A₂₈₀ of 1.0 per min per mL at pH 3.0 at 37 °C measured as TCA-soluble products using hemoglobin as substrate (1 cm light path).
