Elafin, also known as peptidase inhibitor 3 or skin-derived antileukoprotease (SKALP), is a
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...
that in humans is encoded by the ''PI3''
gene
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...
.
Function
This gene encodes an
elastase
In molecular biology, elastase is an enzyme from the class of ''proteases (peptidases)'' that break down proteins. In particular, it is a serine protease.
Forms and classification
Eight human genes exist for elastase:
Some bacteria (includin ...
-specific
protease inhibitor, which contains a WAP-type four-disulfide core (WFDC) domain, and is thus a member of the
WFDC domain family. Most WFDC gene members are localized to
chromosome 20
Chromosome 20 is one of the 23 pairs of chromosomes in humans. Chromosome 20 spans around 66 million base pairs (the building material of DNA) and represents between 2 and 2.5 percent of the total DNA in cells. Chromosome 20 was fully sequenced i ...
q12-q13 in two clusters: centromeric and telomeric. This gene belongs to the centromeric cluster.
Clinical significance
Elafin has been found to have utility in serving as a biomarker for graft versus host disease of the skin.
Elafin plays some role in gut inflammation.
References
Further reading
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External links
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