Eppin, an epididymal protease inhibitor, belongs to the WFDC family and to the telomeric cluster. The gene encoding the protein is localized to chromosome 20q12-q13 in centromeric and telomeric clusters. It expresses three mRNAs encoding two isoforms of a cystine-rich protein that contains Kunitz-type and WAP-type (four disulfide core) protease inhibitor consensus sequences. The mouse gene lies in a cluster of putative Eppin-like genes on mouse chromosome 2.
