Proteolytic cleavage regulates numerous processes in health and disease. One key player is the ubiquitously expressed serine protease furin, which cleaves a plethora of proteins at polybasic recognition motifs. Mammalian substrates of furin include cytokines, hormones, growth factors and receptors. Thus, it is not surprising that aberrant furin activity is associated with a variety of disorders including cancer. Furthermore, the enzymatic activity of furin is exploited by numerous viral and bacterial pathogens, thereby enhancing their virulence and spread. In this review, we describe the physiological and pathophysiological substrates of furin and discuss how dysregulation of a simple proteolytic cleavage event may promote infectious diseases and cancer. One major focus is the role of furin in viral glycoprotein maturation and pathogenicity. We also outline cellular mechanisms regulating the expression and activation of furin and summarise current approaches that target this protease for therapeutic intervention.

中文翻译：

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在感染性疾病和癌症中，弗林蛋白酶介导的蛋白质加工。

蛋白水解裂解调节健康和疾病中的许多过程。一个关键的因素是普遍表达的丝氨酸蛋白酶弗林蛋白酶，它可以在多碱基识别基序上切割大量蛋白质。弗林蛋白酶的哺乳动物底物包括细胞因子，激素，生长因子和受体。因此，弗林蛋白酶异常活性与包括癌症在内的多种疾病相关联就不足为奇了。此外，弗林蛋白酶的酶活性被许多病毒和细菌病原体所利用，从而增强了它们的毒力和传播能力。在这篇综述中，我们描述了弗林蛋白酶的生理和病理生理底物，并讨论了一个简单的蛋白水解裂解事件的失调可能如何促进传染病和癌症。弗林蛋白酶在病毒糖蛋白成熟和致病性中的作用是一个主要焦点。