Heparanase/HPSE: Proteins and Enzymes

Heparanase (HPSE) selectively cleaves heparan sulfate at specific sites on heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). The enzyme is synthesized as an inactive 65 kDa proenzyme that is secreted via the Golgi apparatus and associates with the cell membrane through interaction with HSPGs. It is then endocytosed and transferred to lysosomes where Cathepsin L activates it by removing an internal inhibitory peptide, forming a heterodimer composed of an 8 kDa and a 50 kDa subunit. Under certain stimuli, ...