• Purity

  >95%, by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions and visualized by silver stain

• Endotoxin Level

  <0.01 EU per 1 μg of the protein by the LAL method.  

• Activity

  Measured by the ability of the immobilized protein to support the adhesion of FaDu human squamous cell carcinoma cells.

  When 5 x 10⁴ cells per well are added to rhCHI3L2 coated plates for 30 minutes at 37 °C, cell adhesion is enhanced in a dose dependent manner with typical ED₅₀ range of 0.7-2.8 μg/mL.

  Opitimal dilutions should be determined by each laboratory for each application.

• Source

  Mouse myeloma cell line, NS0-derived Tyr27-Leu390, with a C-terminal 10-His tag

• Accession #

• N-terminal Sequence    
  Analysis

  Tyr27

• Predicted Molecular Mass

  42.2 kDa

• SDS-PAGE

  40 kDa, reducing conditions

Background: Chitinase 3-like 2

Chitinase 3-like 2 (CHI3L2), also called chondrocyte protein 39 or YKL-39, is a 39 kDa potentially glycosylated member of the glycosyl hydrolase 18 family (1 - 3). It is secreted by synovial fibroblasts, chondrocytes, and TGF beta /IL-4-stimulated monocyte-derived macrophages (1, 4, 5). The human CHI3L2 cDNA encodes 390 amino acids (aa), including a 26 aa signal sequence and a 364 aa mature region. Potential alternate start sites at Met-24 and Met+80 would create isoforms of 413 aa and 311 aa, while a potential deletion of aa 15 - 24 would create a 380 aa isoform (6). Mature human CHI3L2 shares 89%, 87% and 84% aa sequence identity with bovine, porcine and equine CHI3L2, respectively. The rodent genome does not include a CHI3L2 ortholog (2). Human CHI3L1 and CHI3L2 share 43% aa sequence identity. Neither shows chitotriosidase activity, but both bind chitin and are thus termed chi-lectins (1 - 3). Unlike CHI3L1, CHI3L2 does not bind heparin (1). While CHI3L1 is the major protein excreted by chondrocytes, up-regulation of CHI3L2 and not CHI3L1 correlates with osteoarthritic cartilage degeneration (1, 7, 8). CHI3L2 has been proposed as a potential biomarker for osteoarthritis (4, 7, 8). CHI3L1 has been found to coordinate adhesion receptors and promote cell signaling and tumor angiogenesis; like CHI3L1, CHI3L2 can enhance cell adhesion (9).

• References:

1. Hu, B. et al. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271:19415.

2. Bussink, A.P. et al. (2007) Genetics 177:959.

3. Renkema, G.H. et al. (1998) Eur. J. Biochem. 251:504.

4. Gratchev, A. et al. (2008) Biomarker Insights 3:39.

5. Benz, K. et al. (2002) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 293:284.

6. Entrez Accession # EAW56480, NP_001020370, NP_001020368.

7. Steck, E. et al. (2002) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 299:109.

8. Knorr, T. et al. (2003) Ann. Rheum. Dis. 62:995.

9. Shao, R. et al. (2009) Oncogene 28:4456.

• Entrez Gene IDs:

  1117 (Human)

• Alternate Names:

  CHI3L2; Chitinase 3 like 2; Chitinase 3-like 2; chitinase-3-like protein 2; Chondrocyte protein 39; YKL39; YKL-39YKL39