noun
- A group of proteolytic enzymes found in cells that break down proteins, especially in lysosomes; used in biochemistry and medical research.
Usage: technical; biology; plural form of cathepsin
Examples
- Cathepsins play a crucial role in cellular protein degradation.
- Researchers studied cathepsins to understand how cells break down damaged proteins.
- The activity of cathepsins increases during programmed cell death.
- Cathepsins are commonly found in lysosomes, the cell's recycling centers.
- Scientists inhibit cathepsins in experiments to study their specific functions.