PMID: 11309313Apr 20, 2001Paper

An intracellular form of cathepsin B contributes to invasiveness in cancer

Cancer Research
A M Szpaderska, A Frankfater

Abstract

Cathepsin B is a lysosomal cysteine proteinase whose expression and trafficking are frequently altered in cancer, and plasma membrane and secreted forms are thought to contribute to the invasive and metastatic properties of malignant tumors. We have manipulated the expression of cathepsin B in several tumor cell lines and measured their capacity to invade through a reconstituted extracellular (Matrigel) matrix. Transient expression of human cathepsin B in a poorly metastatic B16F1 murine melanoma variant produced a 3-5-fold increase in cathepsin B activity and a comparable increase in invasiveness. Stable antisense cathepsin B-expressing clones of the highly metastatic human melanoma A375M and prostate carcinoma PC3M cell lines produced 40-50% less cathepsin B than control cells and were proportionately less invasive. In contrast, manipulating cathepsin B levels had no effect on cell migration across an uncoated membrane. The anionic cathepsin B inhibitor (L-3-trans-propylcarbamoyloxirane-2-carbony)-L-isoleucyl-L-proline (CA-074), at a concentration of 1 microM, caused a nearly quantitative inhibition of extracellular cathepsin B but had no effect on Matrigel invasion. In contrast, the equally potent but less selective inhibito...Continue Reading

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