Protein C, also known as autoprothrombin IIA and blood coagulation factor XIX, is a zymogen, that is, an inactive enzyme. The activated form plays an important role in regulating anticoagulation, inflammation, and cell death and maintaining the permeability of blood vessel walls in humans and other animals. Activated protein C (APC) performs these operations primarily by proteolytically inactivating proteins Factor Va and Factor VIIIa. APC is classified as a serine protease since it contains a residue of serine in its active site. The zymogenic form of protein C is a vitamin K-dependent glycoprotein that circulates in blood plasma. Its structure is that of a two-chain polypeptide consisting of a light chain and a heavy chain connected by a disulfide bond. The protein C zymogen is activated when it binds to thrombin, another protein heavily involved in coagulation, and protein C's activation is greatly promoted by the presence of thrombomodulin and endothelial protein C receptors (EPCRs). Because of EPCR's role, activated protein C is found primarily near endothelial cells (i.e., those that make up the walls of blood vessels), and it is these cells and leukocytes (white blood cells) that APC affects. Because of the crucial role that protein C plays as an anticoagulant, those with deficiencies in protein C, or some kind of resistance to APC, suffer from a significantly increased risk of forming dangerous blood clots (thrombosis).
Background References
1. Lal N et al. Endothelial protein C receptor is overexpressed in colorectal cancer as a result of amplification and hypomethylation of chromosome 20q.J Pathol Clin Res 3(3):155-170 (2017).
2. Yan Q et al. Prevalence of protein C receptor (PROCR) is associated with inferior clinical outcome in Breast invasive ductal carcinoma.Pathol Res Pract pii S0344-0338(17)30280-7 (2017).
Sequence Similarity
Belongs to the peptidase S1 family.
Tissue Specificity
Plasma; synthesized in the liver.
Post-translational Modification
The vitamin K-dependent, enzymatic carboxylation of some Glu residues allows the modified protein to bind calcium.; N- and O-glycosylated. Partial (70%) N-glycosylation of Asn-371 with an atypical N-X-C site produces a higher molecular weight form referred to as alpha. The lower molecular weight form, not N-glycosylated at Asn-371, is beta. O-glycosylated with core 1 or possibly core 8 glycans.; The iron and 2-oxoglutarate dependent 3-hydroxylation of aspartate and asparagine is (R) stereospecific within EGF domains.; May be phosphorylated on a Ser or Thr in a region (AA 25-30) of the propeptide.
ICC staining of Protein C in Hela cells (green). Formalin fixed cells were permeabilized with 0.1% Triton X-100 in TBS for 10 minutes at room temperature and blocked with 10% negative goat serum for 15 minutes at room temperature. Cells were probed with the primary antibody (ET1705-3, 1/50) for 1 hour at room temperature, washed with PBS. Alexa Fluor®488 conjugate-Goat anti-Rabbit IgG was used as the secondary antibody at 1/1,000 dilution. The nuclear counter stain is DAPI (blue).
ICC staining of Protein C in 293T cells (green). Formalin fixed cells were permeabilized with 0.1% Triton X-100 in TBS for 10 minutes at room temperature and blocked with 10% negative goat serum for 15 minutes at room temperature. Cells were probed with the primary antibody (ET1705-3, 1/50) for 1 hour at room temperature, washed with PBS. Alexa Fluor®488 conjugate-Goat anti-Rabbit IgG was used as the secondary antibody at 1/1,000 dilution. The nuclear counter stain is DAPI (blue).
Immunohistochemical analysis of paraffin-embedded human liver tissue using anti-Protein C antibody. The section was pre-treated using heat mediated antigen retrieval with Tris-EDTA buffer (pH 9.0) for 20 minutes.The tissues were blocked in 1% BSA for 30 minutes at room temperature, washed with ddH2O and PBS, and then probed with the primary antibody (ET1705-3, 1/50) for 30 minutes at room temperature. The detection was performed using an HRP conjugated compact polymer system. DAB was used as the chromogen. Tissues were counterstained with hematoxylin and mounted with DPX.
Immunohistochemical analysis of paraffin-embedded human kidney tissue using anti-Protein C antibody. The section was pre-treated using heat mediated antigen retrieval with Tris-EDTA buffer (pH 9.0) for 20 minutes.The tissues were blocked in 1% BSA for 30 minutes at room temperature, washed with ddH2O and PBS, and then probed with the primary antibody (ET1705-3, 1/50) for 30 minutes at room temperature. The detection was performed using an HRP conjugated compact polymer system. DAB was used as the chromogen. Tissues were counterstained with hematoxylin and mounted with DPX.
Immunohistochemical analysis of paraffin-embedded human stomach carcinoma tissue using anti-Protein C antibody. The section was pre-treated using heat mediated antigen retrieval with Tris-EDTA buffer (pH 9.0) for 20 minutes.The tissues were blocked in 1% BSA for 30 minutes at room temperature, washed with ddH2O and PBS, and then probed with the primary antibody (ET1705-3, 1/50) for 30 minutes at room temperature. The detection was performed using an HRP conjugated compact polymer system. DAB was used as the chromogen. Tissues were counterstained with hematoxylin and mounted with DPX.
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