Kallikrein Related Peptidase 14

Kallikrein Related Peptidase 14 is one of the fifteen members of the kallikrein subfamily of serine proteases (Kallikrein Related Peptidases) localized in a cluster on chromosome 19. Kallikrein Related Peptidase 14 is a precursor protein that is proteolytically processed to produce the functional enzyme.

The kallikrein-related peptidases, have various physiological functions such as regulation of blood pressure and desquamation of the surface epithelium. Altered expression of this gene is associated with the progression of various types of carcinoma, including breast and prostate tumors.

Kallikrein Related Peptidase 14, is a serine-like endopeptidase with a dual trypsin and chymotrypsin-like substrate specificity. The enzyme can activate/inactivate the proteinase-activated receptors F2R, F2RL1 and F2RL3 as well as other kallikreins, including KLK1, KLK3, KLK5 and KLK11. May be involved in epidermal desquamation, a process in which the most superficial corneocytes are shed from the skin surface, through cleavage of desmoglein DSG1. May be involved in various aspects of tumor progression, including growth, invasion and angiogenesis.

Diseases associated with the KLK14 gene include Netherton syndrome and ovarian cancer.

1. Falkowski K et al. (2020) Kallikrein-Related Peptidase 14 Activates Zymogens of Membrane Type Matrix Metalloproteinases (MT-MMPs)-A CleavEx Based Analysis. Int J Mol Sci 21:4383.
2. Gouin O et al. (2020) Transgenic Kallikrein 14 Mice Display Major Hair Shaft Defects Associated with Desmoglein 3 and 4 Degradation, Abnormal Epidermal Differentiation, and IL-36 Signature. J Invest Dermatol 140:1184-1194
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5. Yousef GM et al. (2001) Cloning of a new member of the human kallikrein gene family, KLK14, which is down-regulated in different malignancies. Cancer Res 61:3425-3431.