Judith Clements, John Hooper, Ying Dong, Tracey Harvey
The Expanded Human Kallikrein (KLK) Gene Family: Genomic Organisation, Tissue-Specific Expression and Potential Functions
The tissue kallikreins are serine proteases encoded
by highly conserved multigene families. The rodent
kallikrein (KLK) families are particularly large, consisting
of 13 26 genes clustered in one chromosomal
locus. It has been recently recognised that the human
KLK gene family is of a similar size (15 genes) with the
identification of another 12 related genes (KLK4-KLK15) within and adjacent to the original human
KLK locus (KLK1-3) on chromosome 19q13.4. The
structural organisation and size of these new genes is
similar to that of other KLK genes except for additional
exons encoding 5 or 3 untranslated regions.
Moreover, many of these genes have multiple mRNA
transcripts, a trait not observed with rodent genes.
Unlike all other kallikreins, the KLK4-KLK15 encoded
proteases are less related (25–44%) and do not contain
a conventional kallikrein loop. Clusters of genes
exhibit high prostatic (KLK2-4, KLK15) or pancreatic
(KLK6-13) expression, suggesting evolutionary conservation of elements conferring tissue specificity.
These genes are also expressed, to varying degrees,
in a wider range of tissues suggesting a functional involvement of these newer human kallikrein proteases
in a diverse range of physiological processes.
Biological Chemistry, Walter de Gruyter
Print ISSN: 1431-6730
Volume: 382, 02/2001
Pages: 5 - 14
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