Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of the monkey and human tissue kallikrein genes

Abstract Cynomolgus monkey renal kallikrein cDNA and genomic human tissue kallikrein gene were cloned. The monkey gene encodes a 257 amino acid (aa) preprokallikrein and exhibits 95% and 92% homology to the human at nucleotide (nt) and aa level, respectively. The monkey gene encodes a 233-aa mature kallikrein versus a 238-aa in human. The human kallikrein gene and urinary kallikrein both contain a Lys-162 instead of the reported Glu-162. Human, monkey and rat renal/pancreatic kallikrein genes evolve with a N -glycosylation containing domain (aa 81–87) which is absent in porcine and is non-glycosylable in mice. Only human kallikrein evolves with an additional Thr-108 and with a N -glycosylation site at aa-141.