Description
The enzyme enterokinase is a serine protease that is encoded by a 3696 nucleotide cDNA that contains an open reading frame of 3057 nucleotides. The encoded precursor is cleaved to form an active protein that contains a 784 amino acid heavy chain followed by a 235 amino acid light chain that are linked by one or more disulfide bonds. The mRNA is found to be expressed only in small intestine and the protein is found in enterocytes of duodenum and proximal jejunum. The human enterokinase gene is localized to chromosome 21q21.Application:Enterokinase has been used in the activation of pancreatic enzyme preparation. It has been used for the activation and determination of trypsin activity in pancreatic enzyme secretion