title: Significance of 32-kDa cathepsin L secreted from cancer cells.
abstract: It is recognized that many cancer cells secrete cathepsin L to degrade the components of extracellular matrices and basement membranes, thus promoting tumor invasion and metastasis. However, very little information is available concerning the secreted forms of cathepsin L and their possible role in human cancer. We initially demonstrated that approximately 10-fold higher mature cathepsin L activity was secreted in a medium of human fibrosarcoma (HT 1080) cells, compared with their intracellular activity. A 32-kDa major-activity band, together with a 41-kDa faint-activity band, was detected in the medium by our newly developed gelatin zymography. The two forms were further confirmed to be cathepsin L by immunoblot analysis. Both were apparently secreted directly from the cells, as neither was affected when the cells were cultured in the presence of various kinds of proteinase inhibitors. Human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) stimulated not only the production of the 32-kDa cathepsin L, but also its secretion. Moreover, the 32-kDa cathepsin L activities in 3 colon and 2 lung cancer tissues were significantly higher than in normal tissues. Based on the foregoing, there are good reasons to speculate that the 32-kDa cathepsin L found in HT 1080 cell medium is involved in cancer invasion and metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Dentistry, Aichi-Gakuin University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan. yokuteku@dpc.aichi-gakuin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.forename: Nobuhiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katunuma
mesh_terms: D056668:Cathepsin L; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media / Q000378:metabolism; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002403:Cathepsins; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C063905:procathepsin L; C534281:CTSL protein, human; D056668:Cathepsin L