| abstract |
Here we describe the molecular identification of a cDNA encoding a novel serine protease we have termed protease C-E. The deduced amino acid sequence, and it alignment with other well-characterized serine proteases indicates that it is a member of the S1 serine protease family. We have found that the protease C-E mRNA is expressed in pancreas, placenta, prostate, small intestine, stomach, spleen, fibroblasts and epidermis, as well as in certain regions of the brain i.e., cerebellum, cerebral cortex, pituitary and hippocampus. Enzymatically active protease C-E, as produced using the methodologies described herein, is amenable to further biochemical analyses for the identification of physiological substrates and specific modulators. |