retroviral-like aspartic protease 1 (skin-specific retroviral-like aspartic protease, skin aspartic protease, SASPase, TPA-inducible aspartic proteinase-like protein, TAPS, ASPRV1, SASP)

Function

• undergoes autocleavage, necessary for activation

Structure

• homodimer
• contains 1 peptidase A2 domain

Compartment

• membrane

Expression

• expressed primarily in the granular layer of epidermis & inner root sheath of hair follicles

Pathology

• in psoriatic skin, expressed throughout the stratum corneum
• in ulcerated skin, expressed in the stratum granulosum of intact epidermis but almost absent from ulcerated regions
• expressed in differentiated areas of squamous cell carcinomas but not in undifferentiated tumors

More general terms

• aspartic proteinase; carboxyl acid protease
• glycoprotein
• membrane protein

Database

• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q53RT3.html