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. ...