TMPRSS2
Also known as PP9284, PRSS10, transmembrane protease, serine 2, transmembrane serine protease 2
Transmembrane protease, serine 2 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the TMPRSS2 gene. It belongs to the TMPRSS family of proteins, whose members are transmembrane proteins which have a serine protease activity. The TMPRSS2 protein is found in high concentration in the cell membranes of epithelial cells of the lung and of the prostate, but also in the heart, liver and gastrointestinal tract.
Gene data
TMPRSS2- Name
- transmembrane serine protease 2
- Type
- protein-coding
- Position
- 41,464,296–41,531,116 (−)
- Aliases
- PRSS10
- Ensembl
- ENSG00000184012
- RefSeq RNA
- NM_001135099.1, NM_001382720.1, NM_005656.4
- RefSeq protein
- NP_001128571.1, NP_001369649.1, NP_005647.3
This gene encodes a protein that belongs to the serine protease family. The encoded protein contains a type II transmembrane domain, a receptor class A domain, a scavenger receptor cysteine-rich domain and a protease domain. Serine proteases are known to be involved in many physiological and pathological processes. This gene was demonstrated to be up-regulated by androgenic hormones in prostate cancer cells and down-regulated in androgen-independent prostate cancer tissue. The protease domain of this protein is thought to be cleaved and secreted into cell media after autocleavage. This protein also facilitates entry of viruses into host cells by proteolytically cleaving and activating viral envelope glycoproteins. Viruses found to use this protein for cell entry include Influenza virus and the human coronaviruses HCoV-229E, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 virus). Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Apr 2020].
Article
8 sectionsContents
- Function
- Structure
- Clinical significance
- In prostate cancer
- Coronaviruses
- Inhibitors
- References
- Further reading
Transmembrane protease, serine 2 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the TMPRSS2 gene. It belongs to the TMPRSS family of proteins, whose members are transmembrane proteins which have a serine protease activity. The TMPRSS2 protein is found in high concentration in the cell membranes of epithelial cells of the lung and of the prostate, but also in the heart, liver and gastrointestinal tract.
Mutations of the TMPRSS2 gene are often involved in prostate cancer. Several viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, use the protease activity of the TMPRSS2 protein in the process of entering cells.