Bio Background |
Elastases form a subfamily of serine proteases thathydrolyze many proteins in addition to elastin. Humans have sixelastase genes which encode the structurally similar proteinselastase 1, 2, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B. Unlike other elastases, elastase3B has little elastolytic activity. Like most of the humanelastases, elastase 3B is secreted from the pancreas as a zymogenand, like other serine proteases such as trypsin, chymotrypsin andkallikrein, it has a digestive function in the intestine. Elastase3B preferentially cleaves proteins after alanine residues. Elastase3B may also function in the intestinal transport and metabolism ofcholesterol. Both elastase 3A and elastase 3B have been referred toas protease E and as elastase 1, and excretion of this protein infecal material is frequently used as a measure of pancreaticfunction in clinical assays. |
Bio References |
Gao, J., et al. Oncol. Rep. 23(6):1683-1692(2010)Teichmann, J., et al. Eur. J. Med. Res. 13(12):563-567(2008)Hahn, J.U., et al. Pancreas 36(3):274-278(2008)Mann, S.T., et al. Eur. J. Med. Res. 13(2):68-72(2008)Vesterhus, M., et al. Diabetes Care 31(2):306-310(2008) |