question: Describe the known functions for the prothymosin alpha c-terminal peptide?
answer: Prothymosin alpha (ProTα) (encoded in human by the PTMA gene) is a ubiquitous, highly acidic nuclear polypeptide. During early apoptosis, proTα is cleaved by activated caspase-3, with a primary attach site being D99, close to its carboxyl-terminus. The role of the cleaved decapeptide -- proTα(100-109) -- is not fully understood. proTα(100-109), which contains the nuclear localization signal (NLS) for ProTα, has been demonstrated to have immunostimulatory properties, such as to stimulate lymphocytes and neutrophils and induce dendritic cell maturation.