Cathepsin B is abundantly expressed peptidase of the papain family in the lysosomes, and closely related to the cell degradation system such as apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy. Abnormal degradation of organelles often occurs due to release of cathepsin B into the cytoplasm. Many studies have been reported that relationship between cathepsin B and intracellular mechanisms in various cell types, but porcine embryos has not yet been reported. Therefore, this study evaluated the effect of cathepsin B inhibitor (E-64) on preimplantation developmental competence and quality of porcine embryos focusing on apoptosis and oxidative stress. The expression of cathepsin B mRNA in porcine em-bryos was gradually decreased in inverse proportion to E-64 concentration by using real-time RT-PCR. When putative zygotes were cultured with E-64 for 24 h, the rates of early cleavage and blastocyst development were decreased by increasing E-64 concentration. However, the rate of blastocyst development in 5 μM treated group was similar to the control. On the other hand, both the index of apoptotic and reactive oxygen species (ROS) of blastocysts were sig-nificantly decreased in the 5 μM E-64 treated group compared with control. We also examined the mRNA expression levels of apoptosis related genes in the blastocysts derived from 5 μM E-64 treated and non-treated groups. Expre-ssion of the pro-apoptotic Bax gene was shown to be decreased in the E-64 treated blastocyst group, whereas expre-ssion of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL gene was increased. Taken together, these results suggest that proper inhibition of cathepsin B at early development stage embryos improves the quality of blastocysts, which may be related to not only the apoptosis reduction but also the oxidative stress reduction in porcine embryos.

Cancer is the result of damage to the genetic system, i.e., dysfunction of the DNA repair system, resulting in dysregulated expression of various molecules, leading to cancer formation, migration, and invasion. In cancer progression, several proteases play a critical role in metastasis; however, their biological mechanism in cancer metastasis is not clearly understood. Among these proteases, cathepsins are a family of lysosomal proteases found in most animal cells. Cathepsins have an important role in protein turnover of mammalian, and are classified into 15 types based on their structure as serine (cathepsin A and G), aspartic (cathepsin D and E), and cysteine cathepsins (cathepsin B, C, F, H, K, L, O, S, V, X, and W). Cysteine cathepsins appear to accelerate the progression of human and rodent cancers, which can be a biomarker of the potency of malignancy or metastasis in mammalian. Overexpression of cyteine cathepsins causes the activation of angiogenesis promoting factor, whereas their downregulation reduces the angiogenesis of cancer progression. Under physiological conditions, cysteine cathepsins are essential in inflammation, infection, and cancer development. Activity of cysteine proteases, i.e., cathepsin B, is required for cancer progression or metastasis. Elevation of cysteine cathepsin is associated with cancer metastasis, angiogenesis, and immunity. Therefore, in this review, we suggest that cysteine cathepsin may be an anticancer target of strong clinical interest, although the exact mechanism of cathepsins in cancer metastasis is under investigation.

Cathepsin B, a lysosomal cystein protease that plays an important role in the degradation of intracellular proteins in lysosomes, is detected in a wide variety of cells including bovine oocytes and embryos. Although the mode of action of cathepsin B is not fully understood, a strong relationship was observed between cathepsin B and apoptosis in many types of cells. Cathepsin B was found to induce the apoptotic pathway through activating initiator caspases rather than executioner caspases. Thus, the aim of this study was evaluated the effect of capthesin B inhibitor, E-64, on blastocyst developmental competence and subsequent preimplantation quality of the IVF and SCNT bovine embryos. After IVF and SCNT procedures, presumptive bovine embryos were cultured in CR1aa medium supplemented with E-64 for 24 h. Then, samples were additionally cultured in CR1aa medium without E-64 for 5 days. In our results, the frequency of blastocyst formation was higher when treated with E-64 compared with the control group (p<0.05). Furthermore, the blastocyst cell number was enhanced and apoptosis reduced (TUNELpositive nuclei number) by E-64 treatment in both IVF and SCNT bovine embryos (p<0.05). In the real-time quantitative RT-PCR, the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL gene was shown to be increased in the blastocyst stage, whereas expression of proapoptotic Bax was decreased. In conclusion, our results indicate that E-64 improves the developmental competence and embryonic qualities of bovine IVF and SCNT embryos by modulating cathepsin B induced apoptosis during the preimplantation stage.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronically relapsing, non‐contagious pruritic skin disease with two phases: acute and chronic. Previous studies have shown that cathepsin S (CTSS) is a cysteine protease linked to inflammatory processes, including atherosclerosis and asthma. The possibility that this or other cysteine proteases might evoke itch or be part of a classical ligand‐receptor signaling cascade has not been considered previously. Recently, CTSS was known as a ligand for proteinase‐activated receptor 2 (PAR2) associated with itching. In the present study, we showed that CTSS‐overexpressing transgenic (TG) mice spontaneously developed a skin disorder similar to chronic AD under conventional conditions. This study suggest that CTSS overexpression triggers PAR2 activation in dendritic cells (DCs), resulting in promotion of CD4+ differentiation involved in MHC class II expression. In addition, we investigated mast cells and macrophages and found significantly higher mean levels of T‐helper type 1 (Th1) cell‐associated cytokines than of T‐helper type 2 (Th2) cell‐associated cytokines in CTSS‐overexpressing TG mice. These results suggest that increasing of PAR2 expression in DCs mediated by CTSS overexpression induces scratching behavior and Th 1 cell‐associated cytokines, and can trigger chronic AD symtoms.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronically relapsing, non‐contagious pruritic skin disease with two phases: acute and chronic. Previous studies have shown that cathepsin S (CTSS) is a cysteine protease linked to inflammatory processes, including atherosclerosis and asthma. The possibility that this or other cysteine proteases might evoke itch or be part of a classical ligand‐receptor signaling cascade has not been considered previously. Recently, CTSS was known as a ligand for proteinase‐activated receptor 2 (PAR2) associated with itching. In the present study, we showed that CTSS‐overexpressing transgenic (TG) mice spontaneously developed a skin disorder similar to chronic AD under conventional conditions. This study suggest that CTSS overexpression triggers PAR2 activation in dendritic cells (DCs), resulting in promotion of CD4+ differentiation involved in MHC class II expression. In addition, we investigated mast cells and macrophages and found significantly higher mean levels of T‐helper type 1 (Th1) cell‐associated cytokines than of T‐helper type 2 (Th2) cell‐associated cytokines in CTSS‐overexpressing TG mice. These results suggest that increasing of PAR2 expression in DCs mediated by CTSS overexpression induces scratching behavior and Th 1 cell‐associated cytokines, and can trigger chronic AD symtoms.

Background: Proteolytic enzymes are involved in insect molting and metamorphosis and play a vital role in the programmed cell death of obsolete organs. Here we show the expression profile of cathepsin B in the fat body of the silkworm Bombyx mori during development. We also compared the expression profile of B. mori cathepsins B (BmCatB) and D (BmCatD) in the fat body during the larval-pupal transformation of B. mori in the BmCatB or BmCatD RNA interference (RNAi) process. Results: BmCatB is ecdysone-induced and expressed in the fat body of B. mori during the molting, and the larval-pupal and pupal-adult transformations, and its expression leads to programmed cell death. In particular, BmCatB is highly expressed in the fat body of B. mori during the larval-pupal transformation and BmCatB RNAi treatment resulted in the arrest of the larval-pupal transformation. RNAi-treated BmCatB knock-down sustained the expression of BmCatD during the larval-pupal transformation. On the other hand, BmCatD RNAi up-regulated the expression of BmCatB in the fat body of final instar larvae. Conclusion: Based on these results, we conclude that BmCatB is involved in the programmed cell death of the fat body during B. mori metamorphosis and that BmCatB and BmCatD contribute collaboratively to B. mori metamorphosis

Metamorphosis is a development process involving the programmed cell death of obsolete larval organs. Aspartic proteinase cathepsin D (BmCatD) is involved in the silkworm Bombyx mori metamorphosis. Here we show a novel functional role of cysteine proteinase cathepsin B during B. mori metamorphosis. The B. mori cathepsin B (BmCatB) was expressed in the fat body, epidermis, ovary, testis, and hemocyte of the larval and pupal stages. The BmCatB was ecdysoneinduced, expressed in the fat body of the molting, the final larval instar and pupal stages, and its expression led to programmed cell death. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated BmCatB knock-down inhibited the programmed cell death of larval and pupal fat body, resulting in the arrest of larval-pupal transformation. BmCatB RNAi is up-regulated the expression of BmCatD. Based on these results we concluded that BmCatB is critically involved in the histolysis of the larval and pupal fat body, indicating that BmCatB and BmCatD are mutally regulated during silkworm metamorphosis.

Epitheli a l mesenchymal interaction(EMl) is well known to be essential in eznbryonic deve]opment. wound hea]jng a nd ca rci nogenes is. Th is study was a i med to design in vi tro model for the investigation of protein analysis in epithe li al a ncl mesenchyma l i nteract ion(EMI) . This stucly usecl oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line(YD-lOB) . 1'0 investigate the clifference 0 1' protei n ex press ion of cancel‘ cells influencecl by variable in vitro conditions. three different models were des ig necl ; Collagen gel- basecl ca ncer cell culture model devoid of fibroblasts(C) , Direct coτulture moclel(M2) composed of ca ncer cells beneath co ll agen gel embeclded with Swiss 31'3 fibroblasts ‘ and Indi rect co-culture model(Ml) with collagen layer betwecn cancel‘ cells and collagen gel with f lbroblasts Two-dimensional electrophoresis was performed to compa re t he diffe r ence of protein express ion pattern of ca ncer cells aznong three znodel systems. Protein identification was done by MALDI-TOF. As res ults ‘ pl'O te in express ion pat tem of cancel' cells was quite different between znonolayer cul ture and coll agen gel based cultu re. Aclditiona ll y. protein expression was different between culture models with fi broblasts and without fibroblasts a ncl between ind irect contact and direct contact of two cell types ‘ Among differentia l prot ei n spots. catheps in D WäS iuenLifï ed by MALDl• TOF Cathepsin D exprcssion was increased from C model to 11띠 and M2 model by West em blott ing. suggest ing that cathe psi n D expression may be activated by direct and indirect stimulation of stromal fï broblas ts F' rom these resul ts ‘ these models could be appropriate for EMI study and cathepsin D mi ght be incluced by fi broblasts s timulation