Chymotrypsin-like elastase family member 3A, Elastase IIIA, Elastase-3A, ELA3, ELA3A, Protease E, OTTHUMP00000002835, elastase 3A, pancreatic, inactive variant, catalytically inactive
Chymotrypsin-like elastases (CELAs) are pancreatic serine proteinases, which belong to the peptidase S1 family, a subfamily of serine proteases. The human CELA3A is a member of the elastase family, which consists of six human elastase genes encoding the proteins elastase 1, 2, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B, all of which are structurally similar. Typically, elastases hydrolyze many proteins in addition to elastin. However, CELA3A has only little elastolytic activity. CELA3A is secreted by the pancreas and characterized by a digestive function in the intestine, very similar to other serine proteases such as trypsin, chymotrypsin and kallikrein. The amino acid S217 of CELA3A is part of the catalytic triade typical for all serine proteases. By substitution of this amino acid by a different one (S217A), the enzyme is loosing its catalytic activity.