CTSD Mouse
Description
Definition of CTSD Mouse
The term "CTSD Mouse" broadly refers to two categories:
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Genetically engineered mice with modified Ctsd (Cathepsin D gene), including knockouts, tissue-specific deletions, or transgenic overexpression models.
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Recombinant mouse CTSD proteins produced for biochemical and pharmacological studies.
These tools enable researchers to investigate CTSD's roles in neurodegeneration, lipid disorders, and microvascular diseases .
Lipid Metabolism and Atherosclerosis
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Whole-body Ctsd KO mice show disrupted lipid homeostasis, with hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride accumulation .
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Pharmacological inhibition of CTSD in Ldlr−/− mice reduces plasma lipids, implicating CTSD in bile acid metabolism and atherosclerosis progression .
Diabetes and Microvascular Dysfunction
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hCTSD hi transgenic mice demonstrate increased cerebral microvascular permeability via caveolae-mediated transcytosis, a mechanism exacerbated by diabetes .
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Monocyte-derived pro-CTSD binds endothelial LRP1, driving vascular leakage and cognitive deficits, which are mitigated in CTSD mKO mice .
Therapeutic Implications
Product Specs
Product Science Overview
Mouse Cathepsin-D is synthesized as a precursor protein, consisting of:
- Signal peptide (residues 1-20)
- Propeptide (residues 21-64)
- Mature chain (residues 65-410)
The mature form of Cathepsin-D is responsible for its proteolytic activity. The recombinant version of mouse Cathepsin-D is often produced in cell lines, such as mouse myeloma cells, and is tagged for purification and detection purposes .
Cathepsin-D is involved in the normal degradation of proteins and the activation of precursors of bioactive proteins in pre-lysosomal compartments . It is particularly important in the breakdown of amyloid-β protein (Aβ) and the microtubule-associated protein tau, both of which are implicated in Alzheimer’s disease .
Research has shown that Cathepsin-D plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Genetic deletion of Cathepsin-D in mice leads to the accumulation of amyloid-β and tau proteins, which are hallmark features of Alzheimer’s disease . This suggests that Cathepsin-D is crucial for maintaining the proteostasis of these proteins in vivo.
Recombinant mouse Cathepsin-D is used in various research applications, including:
- Studying protein degradation pathways
- Investigating the role of Cathepsin-D in diseases like Alzheimer’s
- Developing potential therapeutic interventions
The recombinant protein is typically purified to high levels of purity and is available in carrier-free formulations to avoid interference in experimental assays .
