WAP Four Disulfide Core Domain Protein 12 (WFDC12)

WFDC12 encodes a member of the WAP-type four-disulfide core (WFDC) domain family. The WFDC domain, or WAP signature motif, contains eight cysteines forming four disulfide bonds at the core of the protein, and functions as a protease inhibitor. Most WFDC gene members are localized to chromosome 20q12-q13 in two clusters: centromeric and telomeric.

The predicted 111-amino acid protein has a 23-residue signal peptide, followed by a WAP domain and a novel C-terminal domain. The mature protein lacks N-glycosylation sites and consists of approximately 10% each of glu, lys, pro, and cys residues. RT-PCR analysis detected high expression in prostate, skin, lung, and esophagus, with weaker expression in several other tissues examined.