Ctsb - cathepsin B

This gene encodes a member of the peptidase C1 family and preproprotein that is proteolytically processed to generate multiple protein products. These products include the cathepsin B light and heavy chains, which can dimerize to generate the double chain form of the enzyme. This enzyme is a lysosomal cysteine protease with both endopeptidase and exopeptidase activity that may play a role in protein turnover. Homozygous knockout mice for this gene exhibit reduced pancreatic damage following induced pancreatitis and reduced hepatocyte apoptosis in a model of liver injury. Pseudogenes of this gene have been identified in the genome. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2015]