title: ATP-dependent protease in human placenta.
abstract: We have found that human placental mitochondria contain ATP-dependent protease in a soluble form. The molecular weight of the protease have been up to 108,000, which is the same as ATP-dependent protease in bovine adrenal cortex. Since this protease has been distributed among steroid hormone-producing tissues such as testis and adrenal cortex and ATP-dependent protease can degrade cytochrome P-450scc, a key enzyme in steroid hormone biosynthesis, we suggest that the protease may have an important role in the regulation of steroid hormone metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watabe
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hamada
mesh_terms: D049069:ATP-Dependent Proteases; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000502:physiology; D002364:Caseins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D049069:ATP-Dependent Proteases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases