Background
Cathepsin V (CTSV), also known as Cathepsin L2, CTSL2, and CATL2, is a member of the peptidase C1 family. It is predominantly expressed in the thymus and testis. Cathepsin V is also expressed in corneal epithelium, and to a lesser extent in conjuctival epithelium and skin. It is a lysosomal cysteine proteinase that may play an important role in corneal physiology. It has about 75% protein sequence identity to murine cathepsin L. The fold of this enzyme is similar to the fold adopted by other members of the papain superfamily of cysteine proteases. Cathepsin V has been recently described as highly homologous to Cathepsin L and exclusively expressed in human thymus and testis. Cathepsin V is the dominant cysteine protease in cortical human thymic epithelial cells, while Cathepsin L and Cathepsin S seem to be restricted to dendritic and macrophage-like cells. Active Cathepsin V in thymic lysosomal preparations was demonstrated by active-site labeling. Recombinant Cathepsin V was capable of converting Ii into CLIP efficiently, suggesting that it is the protease that controls the generation of alphabeta-CLIP complexes in the human thymus. Cathepsin V is the third elastolytic cysteine protease which exhibits the most potent elastase activity yet described among human proteases and that it is present in atherosclerotic plaque specimens. Cathepsin L2 may play a specialized role in the thymus and testis. Expression analysis of cathepsin L2 in human tumors revealed a widespread expression in colorectal and breast carcinomas but not in normal colon or mammary gland or in peritumoral tissues.
Message submitted successfully !