Cystatin A and cystatin B (also designated PME, CST6, STFB, CPI-B, stefin B and liver thiol proteinase inhibitor) are thiol protease inhibitors that form complexes with papain and the cathepsins B, H, and L. Cystatin A, a cytoplasmic protein, is one of the precursor proteins of the cornified cell envelope in keratinocytes and plays a role in epidermal development and maintenance. Cystatin B protects against intracellular proteases leaking out of lysosomes and is primarily expressed in heart, liver and kidney.
