Kallikreins are a subgroup of serine proteases having diverse physiological functions. Growing evidence suggests that many kallikreins are implicated in carcinogenesis and some have potential as novel cancer and other disease biomarkers. This gene is one of the fifteen kallikrein subfamily members located in a cluster on chromosome 19. In prostate cancer, this gene has increased expression, which indicates its possible use as a diagnostic or prognostic marker for prostate cancer. The gene contains multiple polyadenylation sites and alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms.[9]
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Yousef GM, Chang A, Scorilas A, Diamandis EP (2000). "Genomic organization of the human kallikrein gene family on chromosome 19q13.3-q13.4". Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 276 (1): 125–33.
Gan L, Lee I, Smith R, et al. (2001). "Sequencing and expression analysis of the serine protease gene cluster located in chromosome 19q13 region". Gene. 257 (1): 119–30.
Takayama TK, Carter CA, Deng T (2001). "Activation of prostate-specific antigen precursor (pro-PSA) by prostin, a novel human prostatic serine protease identified by degenerate PCR". Biochemistry. 40 (6): 1679–87.
Yousef GM, Scorilas A, Katsaros D, et al. (2003). "Prognostic value of the human kallikrein gene 15 expression in ovarian cancer". J. Clin. Oncol. 21 (16): 3119–26.
