Background:The human lysosomal protease cathepsin A requires proteolytic activation. Results: The crystal structure of mature and active cathepsin A reveals its mechanism of activation. Conclusion: Removal of a 3.3-kDa peptide (by unidentified proteases) allows substrate access to the active site. Significance: The results revise a 2-decades-old model of cathepsin A activation by proteolysis and subsequent conformational change.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.