Cathepsin A 20k (M327) polyclonal antibody

The cathepsin family of proteolytic enzymes include several diverse classes of proteases. Cathepsins B, L, H, K, S and O comprise the cysteine protease class. Cathepsins D and E comprise the aspartyle protease class. The serine protease class includes cathepsin G. Cathepsins function in cellular metabolism and participate in peptide biosynthesis and protein degradation. Cathepsin A, a serine carboxypepidase, exists in a high molecular weight lysosomal complex with β-galactosidase (β-Gal) and α-neuraminidase (Neu1). Cathepsin A functions to protect β-Gal and Neu1 from intralysosomal proteolysis. Deficiencies in cathepsin A lead to deficiencies in β-Gal and Neu1. The gene encoding human cathepsin A maps to chromosome 20q13.12. Mutations in this gene cause glactosialidosis, a lysosomal storage disorder resulting from the β-Gal and Neu1 deficiencies.