Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2)

ACE2 is an exopeptidase that catalyses the conversion of angiotensin I to the nonapeptide angiotensin ,or the conversion of angiotensin II to angiotensin. ACE 2 has direct effects on cardiac function, and is expressed predominantly in vascular endothelial cells of the heart and the kidneys.By EST database searching for sequences showing homology to the zinc metalloprotease angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) and by screening a human lymphoma cDNA library, Tipnis et al. (2000) cloned a full-length ACE2 cDNA, which they called ACEH, encoding a deduced 805-amino acid protein that shares approximately 40% identity with the N- and C-terminal domains of ACE. ACE2 contains a potential 17-amino acid N-terminal signal peptide and a putative 22-amino acid C-terminal membrane anchor.