Identification and Characterization of Human and Mouse Ovastacin

Abstract excerpt

We have cloned and characterized human and mouse ovary cDNAs encoding a new protein of the astacin family of metalloproteinases, called ovastacin because of its predominant expression in ovarian tissues. Human and mouse ovastacins exhibit the same domain organization as other astacins, including signal sequence, propeptide, and metalloproteinase domain. However, ovastacins show an additional C-terminal domain of...