TMPRSS4 Specific Neutra™ Antibody Products

Transmembrane protease serine 4 (TMPRSS4, aliases CAP2 and MT-SP2, previously referred to as TMPRSS3), is encoded by the TMPRSS4 gene located in chromosome 11 (11q23.3). It is a 437 aa canonic protein (isoform 1) at a size of 48 kDa, with two glycosylation sites at 130 and 178 amino acids. TMPRSS4 is a member of the TTSP family, sharing the mutual domains with the other family members: stem, proteolytic, cytoplasmic, and transmembrane domains, and it possesses an extracellular region with a trypsin-like serine protease domain. TMPRSS4 is reported to be expressed in the human esophagus, small intestine, stomach, bladder, colon, and kidney, involved in embryo development and cancers.

Its Gene ID: 56649, UniProtKB ID: Q9NRS4, and OMIM ID: 606565.

Functions and Signaling of TMPRSS4

TMPRSS4 is detected to be significantly overexpressed in various types of cancer, including thyroid carcinoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, a few types of lung cancers, etc. Upregulation of TMPRSS4 participates in the progression and metastasis of a variety of cancers, indicating its possible role in regulating malignant phenotypes, especially in the stage transformation from noninvasive tumors to invasive malignancies.

Besides, TMPRSS4 is also critical for the acquisition of phenotypes of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Elevated expression of TMPRSS4 triggers an intracellular cascade of signaling that involves the activation of multiple intracellular mediators, including ERK1/2, FAK, Akt, Rac1, and Src. TMPRSS4-mediated invasion and EMT are regulated by FAK and Rac1 signaling pathways, which lead to the activation of transcription factors SIP1/ZEB2 and promote E-cadherin loss.

Considering the expression pattern of TMPRSS4 in cancers, it is also recognized as a promising prognostic marker of a broad spectrum of tumors. It has been discovered that TMPRSS4 is closely related to chemokines and the related receptors, as well as the well-known immunosuppressive checkpoints that have been extensively studied and utilized in many applications, such as PD-1, CTLA-4, and HLA-G. These findings jointly underline its value of serving as a biomarker for prognosis and immune infiltration in cancers.

As summarized in Fig.1, TMPRSS4 also plays roles in other biological processes, including virus entry of Influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2, and in vitro cleavage of ENaCγ-submit.

Fig.1 The biological roles of TMPRSS4 in health and disease.¹

TMPRSS4 as a Target for Antibodies

Overexpression levels of TMPRSS4 are observed in many cancers, and have been confirmed to be associated with poor outcomes, which makes it emerged as a potential target for research and treatment of solid tumors. Anti-TMPRSS4 antibodies have been applied as reliable research tools in further exploring the complicated mechanism of stage progression of malignancies, and can be used to detect and visualize the expression patterns of TMPRSS4 for diagnosis or experimental purposes like immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.

Creative Biolabs offers different anti-TMPRSS4 antibody products. These antibodies are recombinantly expressed and could be used for various purposes. Customization of TMPRSS4-based neutralizing antibodies is also available for you here.

REFERENCE

1. Kim, Semi. "TMPRSS4, a type II transmembrane serine protease, as a potential therapeutic target in cancer." Experimental & Molecular Medicine 55.4 (2023): 716-724. Under open access license CC BY 4.0, without modification.