组织蛋白酶L生物学功能的研究进展

组织蛋白酶L(cathepsin L, CTSL)隶属于组织蛋白酶类,是一种木瓜蛋白酶家族中的半胱氨酸蛋白水解酶,以酶原形式广泛存在于动物各种组织细胞的溶酶体内,其相对分子量为30 000,在维持动物正常生命活动中扮演着重要角色。CTSL参与激素原的激活、体内抗原呈递、组织器官发育等多个生理过程,对于指导蛋白质的合成与分解、T细胞分选等具有重要的生物学意义。在病理状态下,由于炎症刺激、免疫损伤等多种原因均能造成细胞的损伤,导致CTSL大量释放到组织间隙或胞质中并被激活,使得细胞成分或细胞基质成分降解,常与肿瘤的浸润和转移、毛囊的形态发育及心肌病有关。目前,我国针对CTSL的相关生理特性研究相对较少,且有关CTSL研究方向较为单一。本文对CTSL的结构与功能,CTSL的生物合成与体内转运,及其在毛囊发育、激素合成、肿瘤标志物、维持心肌稳态、寄生虫防治和抗原递呈方面的典型生物学效应进行综述,并对其研究前景进行展望,以期对CTSL的深入研究提供理论依据,为CTSL研究提供方向。

Advances in research on the biological functions of cathepsin L

Cathepsin L(CTSL), a member of the cathepsin family, is a cysteine proteolyticenzyme of the papain family. It exists in lysosomes in various animal tissues in the form of zymogen with a relative molecular weight of 30 000 and plays an important role in maintaining the normal life activities of animals. CTSL is involved in many physiological processes, such as the activation of prohormone,antigen presentation in vivo, tissue and organ development, which is of great biological significance in guiding the synthesis and decomposition of proteins and the sorting ofT cells. In pathological state, CTSL can be released into the interstitial space or cytoplasm and be activated to degrade the components of or the matrix of the cell due to inflammatory stimulation, immune injury, etc., which is often associated with tumor invasion and metastasis, hair follicle morphogenesis and cardiomyopathy. At present, there are relatively few studies on the physiological characteristics of CTSL in China, and the research direction of CTSL is rather simple. This paper reviews research on CTSL in terms of its structure and function, biosynthesis and in vivo transport, and typical biological effects on hair follicle development, hormone synthesis, tumor markers, maintenance ofmyocardial homeostasis, parasite control and antigen presentation, hopefully to provide theoretical basis and direction for further study of CTSL.