Cysteine protease cathepsin B promotes high population density-induced mutagenesis, driving genome evolution and competitive growth in response to the crowding stress
Bin Yu, Yuji Suehiro, Bryan J. Johnson, Eui-Seung Lee, Dongdong Li, Yawen Huang, Joshua Johnson, Guangshuo Ou, James V. DeGregori, Shohei Mitani, Ding Xue
This study shows that CPR-4, a homologue of human cathepsin B, induces DNA damage and mutagenesis in C. elegans under crowding stress, leading to increased mutation rates and competitive growth advantages.
bioRxiv · Dec 25, 2025 · PreprintDevelopmental Biology