Evolution of kallikrein-related peptidases in mammals and identification of a genetic locus encoding potential regulatory inhibitors

• Published in: Biological chemistry Vol. 387; no. 3; pp. 243 - 249
• Main Authors: Lundwall, Åke, Clauss, Adam, Olsson, A. Yvonne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Walter de Gruyter 01.03.2006
• Subjects: Animals; Base Sequence; Basic Medicine; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 20 - genetics; Cloning, Molecular; Evolution, Molecular; Horses; Humans; innate immunity; Kallikreins - genetics; Kallikreins - metabolism; Läkemedelskemi; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicinal Chemistry; Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper; Mice; Peptide Hydrolases - genetics; Peptide Hydrolases - metabolism; Phylogeny; Primates; prostate-specific antigen; Prostate-Specific Antigen - genetics; Prostate-Specific Antigen - metabolism; Protease Inhibitors - metabolism; Rats; semenogelin; serine proteinase; species specificity; WFDC domain
• ISSN: 1431-6730; 1437-4315; 1437-4315
• DOI: 10.1515/BC.2006.032

The human kallikrein locus on chromosome 19 consists of 15 genes encoding serine proteases. Here we review studies on their evolution, which demonstrate that there are several taxon-unique KLK1 paralogs in mouse, rat and horse, but not in primates and many other mammals. Furthermore, the duplication yielding KLK2 and prostate-specific antigen (KLK3) appears to be specific to primates, but a functional progenitor to KLK2 is expressed in the dog prostate. The linkage to a locus of possible regulatory protease inhibitors on chromosome 20 is discussed, as is the potential role of the kallikrein locus in innate immunity.