Function
Cathepsin (CTS) is a protease which becomes activated at low pH. It is found in lysosomes. Members of the CTS group are denoted as CTSA, CTSB etc and cleave proteins at different peptide bonds. The CTSs are expressed as an inactive precursor pro-CTS (PCTS) which becomes active when a long residue prosegment is cleaved off producing the mature CTS (MCTS).[1]
Disease
CTS B overexpression is associated with metastatic phenotypes in cancer.
Structural highlights
CTS B is a cysteine protease. The active site contains a cysteine residue from the N-terminal domain and His residue from the C-terminal domain.
