seprase; 170 kD melanoma membrane-bound gelatinase; fibroblast activation protein alpha; integral membrane serine protease (FAP)

Function

• in association with DPP4, involved in the pericellular proteolysis of extracellular matrix, the migration & invasion of endothelial cells into the extracellular matrix
• may have a role in tissue remodeling during development & wound healing
• degrades gelatin & heat-denatured type collagen type 1 & collagen type 4, but not native collagen type 1 or native collagen type 4
• does not cleave laminin, fibronectin, fibrin or casein
• homodimer, or heterodimer with DPP4
• the monomer is inactive

Structure

• N-glycosylated
• the N-terminus may be blocked
• belongs to the peptidase S9B family

Compartment

• cell membrane, cell projection, lamellipodium membrane
• single-pass type 2 membrane protein
• found in cell surface lamellipodia, & on shed vesicles
• colocalized with DPP4 in lamellipodia of migratory activated endothelial cells in collagenous matrix

Alternative splicing

named isoforms=2

Expression

• in fibroblasts at times & sites of tissue remodeling during development, tissue repair, & carcinogenesis
• endothelial cells during angiogenesis ?

Pathology

• may contribute to invasiveness in malignant cancers
• found in invadopodia, colocalized with DPP4
• colocalized with DPP4 on endothelial cells of capillary-like microvessels but not large vessels within invasive breast ductal carcinoma

Notes

major isoform

More general terms

• serine protease
• glycoprotein
• membrane protein

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=2191
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:2191
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/600403
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q12884.html