KLK5(Kallikrein-related peptidase 5), formerly known as stratum corneum tryptic enzyme (SCTE) or KLKL2, is a serine protease expressed in the epidermis. The KLK5 gene is one of the fifteen kallikrein subfamily members which is located on 19q13.41. KLK5 has been suggested to regulate cell shedding in conjunction with KLK7 and KLK14, given its ability to degrade proteins which form the extracellular component of cell junctions in the stratum corneum.The KLK5 gene contains 5 coding exons spanning 9.3. KLK5 expression is upregulated in a breast cancer cell line in the presence of estrogens and progestins and is associated with more aggressive forms of epithelial ovarian carcinoma.