Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.4.15.1 (ACE)
 18,300 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We quantitated the levels of two peptidases in the developing rat brain as a means to determine their function. Enkephalin convertase (EC 3.4.17.10), a carboxypeptidase B-like enzyme detected by [3H]guanidinoethylmercaptosuccinic acid (GEMSA) autoradiography, is present in high concentration throughout the brains of rat fetuses 3 days prior to birth. During the first 3 postnatal weeks, the density of [3H]GEMSA-labeled enkephalin convertase drops to adult levels. The expression of enkephalin convertase prior to that of most neuropeptides supports a role for this enzyme in propeptide processing. The regional distribution of [3H]GEMSA binding is similar in fetal and adult rats except that the thalamus exhibits the highest levels of [3H]GEMSA binding prenatally, and among the lowest levels in adult rats. Thus, peptide(s) formed in high concentration in the prenatal thalamus may be substrates for enkephalin convertase. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE, EC 3.14.15.1) was visualized in the perinatal period by [3H]captopril autoradiography. Striatonigral ACE is undetectable at birth and increases to adult levels by two weeks of age. The expression of ACE after the initial presence of known peptides in the basal ganglia implies that the enzyme is not essential for peptide synthesis, suggesting instead a degradative role. In contrast to the striatonigral system, the choroid plexus contains high concentrations of ACE prior to birth, consistent with previous proposals of different substrates for ACE in the choroid plexus and the basal ganglia.
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PMID:Differential ontogeny of rat brain peptidases: prenatal expression of enkephalin convertase and postnatal development of angiotensin-converting enzyme. 302 Dec 86

Mammalian germinal angiotensin I-converting enzyme (gACE) is a single-domain dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase found exclusively in male germ cells, which has almost identical sequence and enzymic properties with the C-domain of the two-domain somatic ACE. Mutant mice that do not express gACE are infertile, suggesting a role for the enzyme in the processing of undefined peptides involved in fertilization. A number of spermatid peptides [e.g. cholecystokinin (CCK) and gastrin] are processed from pro-hormones by endo- and exo-proteolytic cleavages which might generate substrates for gACE. We have shown that peptide hormone intermediates with Lys/Arg-Arg at the C-terminus are high-affinity substrates for human gACE. gACE from human sperm cleaved Arg-Arg from the C-terminus of the CCK5-GRR (GWMDFGRR), a peptide corresponding to the C-terminus of a CCK-gastrin prohormone intermediate. Hydrolysis of CCK5-GRR by recombinant human C-domain ACE was Cl- dependent, with maximal activity achieved in 5-10 mM NaCl at pH 6.4. C-Domain ACE cleaved Lys/Arg-Arg from the C-terminus of dynorphin-(1-7), a pro-TRH peptide KRQHPGKR, and two insect peptides FSPRLGKR and FSPRLGRR. C-Domain ACE displayed high affinity towards all these substrates with Vmax/Km values between 14 and 113 times greater than the Vmax/Km for the conversion of the best known ACE substrate, angiotensin I, into angiotensin II. In conclusion, we have identified a new class of substrates for human gACE, and we suggest that gACE might be an alternative to carboxypeptidase E for the trimming of basic dipeptides from the C-terminus of intermediates generated from pro-hormones by subtilisin-like convertases in human male germ cells.
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PMID:Cleavage of arginyl-arginine and lysyl-arginine from the C-terminus of pro-hormone peptides by human germinal angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) and the C-domain of human somatic ACE. 937 19

Our recent published studies suggest that angiotensin II (AII), generated and retained intracellularly, enhances growth of H4-II-E-C3 rat hepatoma cells, an average of 33%. Proliferation conferred by introduction of a plasmid [ Ang(-S)Exp/pSVL ] encoding a signal sequence-depleted angiotensinogen [Ang(-S)Exp] into these cells (which we have shown possess ACE and renin mRNAs) is mediated, at least in part, by enhanced PDGF-A chain mRNA production and protein secretion. The mitogenic effect is inhibited by losartan suggesting that it involves AII interaction with an AT(1)-like receptor. Introduction of anti-AII antibodies into the medium of these transfected cells has no effect upon growth of the cells, suggesting that AII is retained by the cells and that intracellular AII is growth stimulatory. In the present study, we sought to further characterize the intracellular localization and mode of action of Ang(-S)Exp. Consistent with our expectations, we now show that a fusion product of Ang(-S)Exp with green fluorescent protein [Ang(-S)Exp/EGFP], generated from an expression plasmid, is abundant and primarily cytoplasmic. Wild-type angiotensinogen/EGFP, in contrast, is only detectable following a cold-block (which acts to enhance folding-kinetics and slow secretion) and is largely restricted to the secretory pathway. We further show, using semi-quantitative RT/PCR that the long isoform of PDGF mRNA is elevated in Ang(-S)Exp transfected cells and in AII-treated naive cells but not in losartan-treated Ang(-S)Exp transfected cells. We identify C-terminal amidation recognition sites within the long-form protein (that are not present in the short-form) and show that these cells possess PAM (amidating enzyme precursor) and carboxypeptidase E mRNAs (the corresponding proteins of which are sufficient for amidation). Inhibitors of amidation inhibit growth of naive and Ang(-S)Cntr/ pSVL -transfected cells (2.6-fold for phenylbutenoic acid and 3.5-fold for disulfiram treatment) but more profoundly inhibit growth of Ang(-S)Exp/pSVL -transfected cells (6.7-fold for phenylbutenoic acid and 13-fold for disulfiram). In conclusion, these data confirm that signal sequence-depleted Ang(-S)Exp is retained within cells and is largely cytoplasmic. Because C-terminal amidation is absolutely required for full biological potency of a number of peptide hormones (including oxytocin, gastrin and calcitonin), we postulate that growth effects of both intracellular AII and exogenous AII can be conferred by PDGF long-form, possibly through an amidation-dependent mechanism.
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PMID:Intracellular angiotensin II increases the long isoform of PDGF mRNA in rat hepatoma cells. 1243 51