title: Lysosomal cysteine proteases: structural features and their role in apoptosis.
abstract: Among the variety of proteolytic enzymes enormous progress has been seen recently in our understanding of lysosomal cysteine proteases, also known as cysteine cathepsins. These enzymes play a crucial role in diverse biological processes in physiological and pathological states, including genetic diseases. In the present review, their properties and structural features that are important to an understanding of their biological function are presented. Special emphasis is given to the newly discovered role of lysosomal cathepsins in apoptotic pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, J. Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stoka
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Turk
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Turk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000737:chemistry; D003545:Cysteine / Q000737:chemistry; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005808:Genes, Recessive; D006801:Humans; D007642:Keratosis / Q000235:genetics; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010009:Osteochondrodysplasias / Q000235:genetics; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D002403:Cathepsins; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D003545:Cysteine