Neutrophil Elastase (ELANE) Active Protein

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. The product of this gene hydrolyzes proteins within specialized neutrophil lysosomes, called azurophil granules, as well as proteins of the extracellular matrix following the protein's release from activated neutrophils. The enzyme may play a role in degenerative and inflammatory diseases by its proteolysis of collagen-IV and elastin of the extracellular matrix. This protein degrades the outer membrane protein A (OmpA) of E. coli as well as the virulence factors of such bacteria as Shigella, Salmonella and Yersinia. Mutations in this gene are associated with cyclic neutropenia and severe congenital neutropenia (SCN). This gene is clustered with other serine protease gene family members, azurocidin 1 and proteinase 3 genes, at chromosome 19pter. All 3 genes are expressed coordinately and their protein products are packaged together into azurophil granules during neutrophil differentiation. [provided by RefSeq, May 2009]

ELANE: Modifies the functions of natural killer cells, monocytes and granulocytes. Inhibits C5a-dependent neutrophil enzyme release and chemotaxis. Defects in ELANE are a cause of cyclic haematopoiesis (CH); also known as cyclic neutropenia. CH is an autosomal dominant disease in which blood-cell production from the bone marrow oscillates with 21-day periodicity. Circulating neutrophils vary between almost normal numbers and zero. During intervals of neutropenia, affected individuals are at risk for opportunistic infection. Monocytes, platelets, lymphocytes and reticulocytes also cycle with the same frequency. Defects in ELANE are the cause of neutropenia severe congenital autosomal dominant type 1 (SCN1). SCN1 is a disorder of hematopoiesis characterized by a maturation arrest of granulopoiesis at the level of promyelocytes with peripheral blood absolute neutrophil counts below 0.5 x 10(9)/l and early onset of severe bacterial infections. Belongs to the peptidase S1 family. Elastase subfamily.

Protein type: Cell surface; Motility/polarity/chemotaxis; EC 3.4.21.37; Cell cycle regulation; Protease

Chromosomal Location of Human Ortholog: 19p13.3

Cellular Component: cell surface; transcriptional repressor complex; cytoplasm; extracellular region; secretory granule

Molecular Function: peptidase activity; heparin binding; protein binding; protease binding; cytokine binding; serine-type endopeptidase activity; endopeptidase activity

Biological Process: positive regulation of immune response; extracellular matrix organization and biogenesis; positive regulation of smooth muscle cell proliferation; negative regulation of interleukin-8 biosynthetic process; positive regulation of interleukin-8 biosynthetic process; response to lipopolysaccharide; negative regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter; negative regulation of chemotaxis; proteolysis; phagocytosis; cellular calcium ion homeostasis; positive regulation of MAP kinase activity; extracellular matrix disassembly; collagen catabolic process; negative regulation of inflammatory response; defense response to bacterium; protein catabolic process; response to yeast; leukocyte migration; response to UV; negative regulation of chemokine biosynthetic process; acute inflammatory response to antigenic stimulus

Disease: Cyclic Neutropenia; Neutropenia, Severe Congenital, 1, Autosomal Dominant