KLK14 gene

The KLK14 gene (KLK14 stands for Kallikrein Related Peptidase 14) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 19q13.41. Alternative splicing leads to several transcript variants. An important paralog of this gene is KLK11.

The KLK14 gene encodes one of the fifteen members of the kallikrein subfamily of serine proteases (kallikrein related peptidases), which are localized in a cluster on chromosome 19. The encoded protein, Kallikrein Related Peptidase 14, is a precursor protein that is proteolytically processed to produce the functional enzyme.

Kallikrein Related Peptidases, all serine proteases, 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.

Encoded Kallikrein Related Peptidase 14, 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 KLK14 include Netherton syndrome and ovarian cancer.

1. Komatsu N et al. (2003) Expression and localization of tissue kallikrein mRNAs in human epidermis and appendages. J Invest Dermatol 121:542-549.
2. Papachristopoulou G et al. (2011) Quantitative expression analysis and study of the novel human kallikrein-related peptidase 14 gene (KLK14) in malignant and benign breast tissues. Thromb Haemost 105:131-137.
3. 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.