CELA1 explained

Chymotrypsin-like elastase family member 1 (CELA1) also known as elastase-1 (ELA1) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the CELA1 gene. Elastases form a subfamily of serine proteases that hydrolyze many proteins in addition to elastin. Humans have six elastase genes which encode the structurally similar proteins elastase 1, 2, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B.

Tissue distribution

Elastase-1 was formerly designated pancreatic elastase 1. However unlike other elastases, pancreatic elastase 1 is not expressed in the pancreas. Hence this enzyme has been renamed as elastase-1. To date, elastase 1 expression has only been detected in skin keratinocytes. Literature that describes human elastase 1 activity in the pancreas or fecal material is actually referring to chymotrypsin-like elastase family, member 3B CELA3B).

Clinical significance

This enzyme has been linked to chronic pancreatitis .^[1]

Further reading

• Gullo L, Ventrucci M, Tomassetti P, Migliori M, Pezzilli R . Fecal elastase 1 determination in chronic pancreatitis . Digestive Diseases and Sciences . 44 . 1 . 210–3 . January 1999 . 9952246 . 10.1023/A:1026691209094 . 1137506 .
• Borowitz D, Baker SS, Duffy L, Baker RD, Fitzpatrick L, Gyamfi J, Jarembek K . Use of fecal elastase-1 to classify pancreatic status in patients with cystic fibrosis . The Journal of Pediatrics . 145 . 3 . 322–6 . September 2004 . 15343184 . 10.1016/j.jpeds.2004.04.049 .
• Edelstein C, Italia JA, Scanu AM . Polymorphonuclear cells isolated from human peripheral blood cleave lipoprotein(a) and apolipoprotein(a) at multiple interkringle sites via the enzyme elastase. Generation of mini-Lp(a) particles and apo(a) fragments . The Journal of Biological Chemistry . 272 . 17 . 11079–87 . April 1997 . 9111002 . 10.1074/jbc.272.17.11079 . free .
• Gustavsson EL, Ohlsson K, Olsson AS . Interaction between human pancreatic elastase and plasma protease inhibitors . Hoppe-Seyler's Zeitschrift für Physiologische Chemie . 361 . 2 . 169–76 . 1980 . 6153632 . 10.1515/bchm2.1980.361.1.169 .
• Tani T, Kawashima I, Furukawa H, Ohmine T, Takiguchi Y . Characterization of a silent gene for human pancreatic elastase I: structure of the 5'-flanking region . Journal of Biochemistry . 101 . 3 . 591–9 . March 1987 . 3648024 . 10.1093/jb/101.3.591 .
• Kawashima I, Tani T, Mita-Honjo K, Shimoda-Takano K, Ohmine T, Furukawa H, Takiguchi Y . Genomic organization of the human homologue of the rat pancreatic elastase I gene . DNA Sequence . 2 . 5 . 303–12 . 1992 . 1633328 . 10.3109/10425179209030963 .
• Edelstein C, Italia JA, Klezovitch O, Scanu AM . Functional and metabolic differences between elastase-generated fragments of human lipoprotein[a] and apolipoprotein[a] . Journal of Lipid Research . 37 . 8 . 1786–801 . August 1996 . 10.1016/S0022-2275(20)39122-7 . 8864963 . free .
• Tsunemi M, Matsuura Y, Sakakibara S, Katsube Y . Crystal structure of an elastase-specific inhibitor elafin complexed with porcine pancreatic elastase determined at 1.9 A resolution . Biochemistry . 35 . 36 . 11570–6 . September 1996 . 8794736 . 10.1021/bi960900l .

External links

• The MEROPS online database for peptidases and their inhibitors: S01.153

Notes and References

1. Gullo L, Ventrucci M, Tomassetti P, Migliori M, Pezzilli R . Fecal elastase 1 determination in chronic pancreatitis . Digestive Diseases and Sciences . 44 . 1 . 210–3 . January 1999 . 9952246 . 10.1023/A:1026691209094 . 1137506 .