title: Cathepsin B: multiple enzyme forms from a single gene and their relation to cancer.
abstract: Overexpression and altered trafficking of cathepsin B characterize the malignant phenotype of tumor cells. Human cathepsin B is encoded by a single-copy gene located on chromosome 8p22. With its 13 exons, the gene encompasses at least 27 kb of DNA. Expression of cathepsin B can be regulated at transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Multiple cathepsin B mRNA species arising from alternative splicing may be related to tissue- and tumor-specific differences in expression. There is selective overexpression, increased activity, membrane association and secretion of cathepsin B in many etiologically different cancers. This suggests that cathepsin B may play a functional role in malignant progression. Recent clinical studies provide confirmatory evidence in that cathepsin B expression is a prognostic indicator in colon carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Keppler
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Sloane
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002898:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D007527:Isoenzymes; C057832:procathepsin B; D002401:Cathepsin B