FUNPEP: Information system for "low complexity sequence regions".

Copyright (C) 1999, FUNPEP.

The Cystatin C protein

Cystatin C is a small cystein proteinase inhibitor present in all human body fluids at physiologically relevant concentrations. The physiological role of cystatin C is likely to regulate extracellular cysteine protease activity, which result from microbial invasion or release of lysosomal proteinases from dying or diseased cells. In hereditary cystatin C amyloid angiopathy (HCCAA), presence of the Leu68Gln substitution in cystatin C is coupled to a decreased concentration of this major cystein proteinase inhibitor in cerebrospinal fluid and leads to its amyloid deposition in the brain. Our SWISSPROT sequences are here, the result of the multiple sequence alignment is here.


Gergo Kiss 2nd April 1999 EMBL/Szeged