Conditional Gene Targeting Reveals Cell Type-Specific Roles of the Lysosomal Protease Cathepsin L in Mammary Tumor Progression.

ABSTRACT: Background: Cathepsin L (Ctsl) is a cysteine protease mainly located within the endosomal/lysosomal cell compartment. High expression of Ctsl indicates poor prognosis in human breast cancer. However, the cell type-specific Ctsl functions responsible for this association remain elusive. Methods: Because constitutive Ctsl-/- mice develop a complex phenotype, we developed a conditional model allowing for cell type-specific inactivation of Ctsl in mammary epithelium or myeloid cells in the transgenic mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-polyoma middle T (PyMT) breast cancer model. Results: Ctsl ablation in mammary epithelial cells resulted in delayed initiation and end-stage of cancers. The latter displayed large dead cell areas. Inducible in vitro deletion of Ctsl in MMTV-PyMT-derived breast canc

SUBMITTER: Parigiani MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7463523 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature