Description
This gene encodes the vitamin K-dependent protein C, which plays a vital role in the anticoagulation pathway. The encoded protein undergoes proteolytic processing including activation by thrombin-thrombomodulin complex to form the anticoagulant serine protease that degrades activated coagulation factors. A complete lack of the encoded protein in mice results in severe perinatal consumptive coagulopathy in the brain and liver, resulting in death within 24 hours after birth. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms that may undergo similar processing to generate the mature protein