Kallikrein-3, also known as prostate-specific antigen (PSA), is a serine protease enzyme encoded by the KLK3 gene. It is a member of the human tissue kallikrein family, which consists of 15 serine proteases. PSA is predominantly produced by the epithelial cells of the prostate gland and is secreted into the seminal plasma in high concentrations. It plays a crucial role in the liquefaction of semen by cleaving semenogelins, which are major gel-forming proteins in the seminal fluid.
Kallikrein-3 is a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of approximately 28-34 kDa. It is synthesized as an inactive zymogen and undergoes proteolytic cleavage to become an active enzyme. The active form of PSA exhibits chymotrypsin-like activity, which is essential for its role in semen liquefaction. PSA is also involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix proteins, which may facilitate the invasion and metastasis of prostate cancer cells.
PSA is widely used as a biomarker for the diagnosis and monitoring of prostate cancer. Elevated levels of PSA in the blood can indicate the presence of prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or prostatitis. PSA testing is commonly used in conjunction with other diagnostic tools, such as digital rectal examination (DRE) and prostate biopsy, to improve the accuracy of prostate cancer diagnosis.
Mouse anti-human kallikrein-3 antibodies are monoclonal antibodies generated by immunizing mice with human PSA. These antibodies are highly specific to human PSA and are used in various research and diagnostic applications. They can be used in techniques such as Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, immunoprecipitation, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect and quantify PSA levels in biological samples.
Mouse anti-human kallikrein-3 antibodies are valuable tools in prostate cancer research. They are used to study the expression and regulation of PSA in prostate cancer cells and tissues. These antibodies can also be employed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying PSA’s role in prostate cancer progression and metastasis. Additionally, they are used in the development of PSA-based diagnostic assays and therapeutic strategies.