Elastase: Proteins and Enzymes

Elastases form a subfamily of serine proteases that hydrolyze many proteins in addition to elastin. Humans have sixelastase genes which encode the structurally similar proteins elastase 1, 2, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B. Unlike otherelastases, elastase 3B has little elastolytic activity. Like most of the human elastases, elastase 3B is secreted fromthe pancreas as a zymogen and, like other serine proteases such as trypsin, chymotrypsin and kallikrein, it has adigestive function in the intestine. Elastase 3B preferentially cleaves proteins after alanine residues. Elastase 3Bmay also function in the intestinal transport and metabolism of cholesterol. Both elastase 3A and elastase 3B havebeen referred to as protease E and as elastase 1, and excretion of this protein in fecal material is frequently usedas a measure of pancreatic function in clinical assays. (provided by RefSeq)