title: Role of the hydrophobic transmembrane domain in membrane anchoring of endothelin-converting enzyme-1a.
abstract: Endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1) is a type II membrane protein that cleaves big endothelin-1 (big ET-1) to endothelin-1 (ET-1). The role of the N-terminal and membrane-spanning signal anchor domains in the biosynthesis and function of ECE-1 isoforms, ECE-1a, ECE-1b and ECE-1c, remains unknown. This study provides evidence that the deletion of the cytoplasmic N-terminal tail (residues 1-55) of bovine ECE-1a results in the processing of a putative signal peptide located in the signal anchor domain leading to the partial secretion of the recombinant enzyme into the media. The truncation of N-terminal and/or signal anchor domain does not affect the activity of ECE-1a. These results indicate that the hydrophobic signal anchor domain alone is not sufficient for the membrane anchoring of ECE-1a and that the N-terminal domain of ECE-1a is important for membrane targeting as well as the intracellular localization of the enzyme.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, USA.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ergul
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry*; D016466:CHO Cells; D002417:Cattle; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D000072396:Endothelin-Converting Enzymes; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases
chemical_list: D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; D000072396:Endothelin-Converting Enzymes