Background
Lysosomal carboxypeptidase, cathepsin A (protective protein, CathA), is a component of the lysosomal multienzyme complex along with beta-galactosidase (GAL) and sialidase Neu1, where it activates Neu1 and protects GAL and Neu1 against the rapid proteolytic degradation. Cathepsin A is a multicatalytic enzyme with deamidase and esterase in addition to carboxypeptidase activities. It was recently identified in human platelets as deamidase. In vitro, it hydrolyzes a variety of bioactive peptide hormones including tachykinins, suggesting that extralysosomal cathepsin A plays a role in regulation of bioactive peptide functions. It is a member of the alpha/beta hydrolase fold family and has been suggested to share a common ancestral relationship with other alpha/beta hydrolase fold enzymes, such as cholinesterases. Cathepsin A defects are linked to multiple forms of Galactosialidosis with a combined secondary deficiency of beta-galactosidase and neuraminidase. Cathepsin A is a key molecule in the onset of galactosialidosis and also highlight the therapeutic acts in vivo as an endothelin-1-inactivating enzyme and strongly confirm a crucial role of this enzyme in effective elastic fiber formation.
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