The cathepsin family of proteolytic enzymes contains several diverse classes of proteases. The cysteine protease class comprises cathepsins B, L, H, K, S, and O. The aspartyl protease class is composed of cathepsins D and E. Cathepsin G is in the serine protease class. Most cathepsins are lysosomal and each is involved in cellular metabolism, participating in various events such as peptide biosynthesis and protein degradation. Cathepsin B is expressed in luminal epithelial cells, indicating that cathepsin B is a marker for secretory cell death.
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