Summary
Tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 (TFPI-2) is a 32 kDa matrix-associated Kunitz-type
serine proteinase inhibitor consisting of a short amino-terminal region, three tandem
Kunitz-type domains and a positively charged carboxy-terminal tail. Human TFPI-2,
previously designated as placental protein 5, inhibits a broad spectrum of serine
proteinases almost exclusively through its first Kunitz-type domain, and is thought
to play an important role in the regulation of extracellular matrix digestion and
re-modeling. In this context, reduced synthesis of TFPI-2 has been related to numerous
pathophysiological processes such as inflammation, angiogenesis, atherosclerosis,
retinal degeneration and tumor growth/metastasis. In this review, we document current
information regarding the expression of TFPI-2 by various tissues, its inhibitory
activity and proteinase specificity in-vitro, and discuss possible physiological roles
for this inhibitor based on in-vivo studies.
Keywords
Tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 - tumor - metastasis - mutagenesis - X-ray crystallographys