Fap - fibroblast activation protein

This gene belongs to the serine protease family. The encoded protein is an inducible cell-surface bound glycoprotein specifically expressed in tumor-associated fibroblasts and pericytes of epithelial tumors and has protease and gelatinase activity. The protein plays a role in remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and may affect tumorigenesis and tissue repair. Alternately spliced transcript variants of this gene are described in the literature (PMID 9139873), but the full-length sequence of these variants is not available. [provided by RefSeq, Apr 2013]