Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A2 (PAPP-A2) is a novel metalloproteinase identified as a homolog of PAPP-A in the metzincin superfamily of pappalysins1-8. PAPP-A2 shares 46% sequence identity with PAPP-A3. PAPP-A2 is a noncovalently linked dimer of two 220-kDa subunits. It exhibits robust proteolytic activity against IGFBP-5 and possibly also IGFBP-3 3, 8. PAPP-A2 is expressed in a wide range of tissues and is abundant in placental syncytiotrophoblasts and the pregnant uterus3. The physiological importance of PAPP-A2 is not known.
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