Description
Kallikrein gene 5 (KLK5, also known as KLK-L2), located on chromosome 19q13.4, is one of the newly identified members of the kallikrein gene family, which is a subgroup of the serine protease enzyme family. In normal human tissues, KLK5 is highly expressed in skin, mammary gland and testis. KLK5 has been suggested to regulate cell shedding (desquamation) in conjunction with KLK7 and KLK14, given its ability to degrade proteins which form the extracellular component of cell junctions in the stratum corneum. It is proposed that KLK5 regulates this process since it is able to self-activate in addition to activating KLK7 and KLK14