title: Cathepsin D in pancreatic acinar cells is implicated in cathepsin B and L degradation, but not in autophagic activity.
abstract: Cathepsin D (CD) is the major lysosomal aspartic protease and is widely distributed in the cells of various mammalian tissues. CD participates in various physiological events such as regulation of programmed cell death, activation of enzymatic precursors, and metabolic degradation of intracellular proteins through macroautophagy. To investigate the role of CD in pancreatic acinar cells, which constitute the exocrine pancreas, we generated and examined mice specifically deficient for CD in pancreatic acinar cells. CD deficient mice showed normal pancreatic development and autophagic activity, although LC3-II, which is a marker of the autophagosome, accumulates in both physiological and pancreatitis conditions. Moreover, CD deficiency leads to accumulation of matured cathepsin B (CB) and cathepsin L (CL) which are members of the cysteine protease family. We therefore conclude that CD in pancreatic acinar cells is implicated in CB and CL degradation but not in autophagic activity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource Development and Analysis, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mehanna
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Chigure
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphological Sciences, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 8-35-1, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima 890-8544, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sunabori
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource Development and Analysis, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan.
authors.forename: Takanobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imanaka
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource Development and Analysis, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan.
authors.forename: Kimi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Araki
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource Development and Analysis, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken-ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
authors.affiliation: Institute of Resource Development and Analysis, Kumamoto University, 2-2-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-0811, Japan. Electronic address: ohmuraya@kumamoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohmuraya
mesh_terms: D061354:Acinar Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy; D002401:Cathepsin B / Q000378:metabolism*; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000378:metabolism*; D056668:Cathepsin L / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D002401:Cathepsin B; C533915:Ctsb protein, mouse; D056668:Cathepsin L; C534278:Ctsl protein, mouse; D002402:Cathepsin D; C533923:Ctsd protein, mouse
keywords: Acute pancreatitis; Autophagy; Cathepsin D; Cysteine proteases