Cathepsin D is a normal lysosomal protease that is expressed in all cells. It is an aspartyl protease with a pH optimum in the range of 3-5, and contains two N-linked oligosaccharides. Cathepsin D is synthesized as an inactive 52 kDa pro enzyme. Activation involves the proteolytic removal of the 43 amino acid profragment and an internal cleavage to generate the two-chain form made up of 34 and 14 kDa subunits. Cathepsin D contains the mannose-6-phosphate lysosomal localization signal that ta

Cleavable component of the cohesin complex, involved in chromosome cohesion during cell cycle, in DNA repair, and in apoptosis. The cohesin complex is required for the cohesion of sister chromatids after DNA replication. The cohesin complex apparently forms a large proteinaceous ring within which sister chromatids can be trapped. At metaphase-anaphase transition, this protein is cleaved by separase/ESPL1 and dissociates from chromatin, allowing sister chromatids to segregate. The cohesin comp

The protein encoded by this gene is a histone methyltransferase that methylates lysine-79 of histone H3. It is inactive against free core histones, but shows significant histone methyltransferase activity against nucleosomes. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2011]

High density lipoproteins (HDLs) have been proposed to function jointly with lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase and CETP to facilitate cholesterol transport from tissues to the liver. This mechanism, referred to as reverse cholesterol transport, is physiologically important because it maintains systemic cholesterol levels. CETP is responsible for neutral lipid transfer activity in plasma in numerous species. Since CETP is able to accelerate specifically the exchange of lipid components betwe

The WNT gene family consists of structurally related genes which encode secreted signaling proteins. These proteins have been implicated in oncogenesis and in several developmental processes, including regulation of cell fate and patterning during embryogenesis.