Alpha 1-antichymotrypsin is an alpha globulin

Alpha globulin

Alpha Globulins are a group of globular proteins in plasma, which are highly mobile in alkaline or electrically charged solutions. They inhibit certain blood protease and inhibitor activity.-Alpha 1 globulins:*α1-antitrypsin*Alpha 1-antichymotrypsin...

 glycoprotein

Glycoprotein

Glycoproteins are proteins that contain oligosaccharide chains covalently attached to polypeptide side-chains. The carbohydrate is attached to the protein in a cotranslational or posttranslational modification. This process is known as glycosylation. In proteins that have segments extending...

 that is a member of the serpin

Serpin

Serpins are a group of proteins with similar structures that were first identified as a set of proteins able to inhibit proteases. The acronym serpin was originally coined because many serpins inhibit chymotrypsin-like serine proteases .The first members of the serpin superfamily to be extensively...

 superfamily.

It inhibits the activity of certain enzyme

Enzyme

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...

s called protease

Protease

A protease is any enzyme that conducts proteolysis, that is, begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain forming the protein....

s, such as cathepsin G

Cathepsin G

Cathepsin G is an enzymatic protein belonging to the peptidase or protease families. In humans, it is coded by the CTSG gene.The protein encoded by this gene, a member of the peptidase S1 protein family, is found in azurophil granules of neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes...

 that is found in neutrophils, and chymases found in mast cell

Mast cell

A mast cell is a resident cell of several types of tissues and contains many granules rich in histamine and heparin...

s, by cleaving them into a different shape or conformation

Chemical structure

A chemical structure includes molecular geometry, electronic structure and crystal structure of molecules. Molecular geometry refers to the spatial arrangement of atoms in a molecule and the chemical bonds that hold the atoms together. Molecular geometry can range from the very simple, such as...

. This activity protects some tissues, such as the lower respiratory tract

Lower respiratory tract

The term lower respiratory tract refers to the portions of the respiratory system from the trachea to the lungs.Lower respiratory tract infections can be the cause of several serious illnesses, including pneumonia....

, from damage caused by proteolytic

Proteolysis

Proteolysis is the directed degradation of proteins by cellular enzymes called proteases or by intramolecular digestion.-Purposes:Proteolysis is used by the cell for several purposes...

 enzymes.

This protein is produced in the liver

Liver

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...

, and is an acute phase protein

Acute phase protein

Acute-phase proteins are a class of proteins whose plasma concentrations increase or decrease in response to inflammation...

 that is induced during inflammation

Inflammation

Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...

. Deficiency of this protein has been associated with liver disease

Liver disease

Liver disease is a broad term describing any single number of diseases affecting the liver.-Diseases:* Hepatitis, inflammation of the liver, caused mainly by various viruses but also by some poisons , autoimmunity or hereditary conditions...

. Mutations have been identified in patients with Parkinson disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , also known as chronic obstructive lung disease , chronic obstructive airway disease , chronic airflow limitation and chronic obstructive respiratory disease , is the co-occurrence of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, a pair of commonly co-existing diseases...

.

Alpha 1-antichymotrypsin is also associated with the pathogenesis

Pathogenesis

The pathogenesis of a disease is the mechanism by which the disease is caused. The term can also be used to describe the origin and development of the disease and whether it is acute, chronic or recurrent...

 of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...

 as it enhances the formation of amyloid-fibrils in this disease.

Interactions

Alpha 1-antichymotrypsin has been shown to interact

Protein-protein interaction

Protein–protein interactions occur when two or more proteins bind together, often to carry out their biological function. Many of the most important molecular processes in the cell such as DNA replication are carried out by large molecular machines that are built from a large number of protein...

 with DNAJC1

DNAJC1

DnaJ homolog subfamily C member 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the DNAJC1 gene.-Interactions:DNAJC1 has been shown to interact with Alpha 1-antichymotrypsin.-Further reading:...

.

Further reading

External links

• The MEROPS
  Merops
  Merops may refer to:* Merops , a genus of bee-eaters.* MEROPS, an on-line database for peptidases.It may also refer to several figures from Greek mythology:* King of Ethiopia, husband of Clymene, who lay with Helios and bore Phaethon...
  
  online database for peptidases and their inhibitors: I04.002