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Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) was already discovered in insects in 1994, but its physiological role is still enigmatic. We have addressed this problem by purifying four new ACE substrates from the ovaries of the grey fleshfly, Neobellieria bullata. Their primary structures were identified as NKLKPSQWISLSD (Neb-ODAIF-1(1-13)), NKLKPSQWI (Neb-ODAIF-1(1-9)), SLKPSNWLTPSE (Neb-ODAIF-2) and LEQIYHL. Database analysis showed significant homology with amino acid sequence stretches as present in the N-terminal part of several fly yolk proteins. An antiserum raised against Neb-ODAIF-1(1-9) immunostained one out of three yolk protein bands of SDS/PAGE-separated fly haemolymph and egg homogenate, thus confirming that these peptides originate from a yolk protein gene product. Kinetic analysis of these peptides and of the peptides Neb-ODAIF and Neb-ODAIF-1(1-7) with insect ACE and human ACE show both similar and unique properties for insect ACE as compared with human C-domain ACE.

Type

Journal article

Journal

Eur J Biochem

Publication Date

07/2002

Volume

269

Pages

3522 - 3530

Keywords

Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Binding, Competitive, CHO Cells, Cricetinae, Cricetulus, Diptera, Egg Proteins, Female, Grasshoppers, Humans, Insect Proteins, Kinetics, Male, Molecular Sequence Data, Ovary, Peptides, Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A, Protein Structure, Tertiary, Recombinant Fusion Proteins, Sequence Alignment, Sequence Homology, Amino Acid, Species Specificity, Substrate Specificity, Testis