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

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.