Hypothetical 92.3-kD Human Protein Homologous to Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme: A New Member of the Zinc Metalloprotease Family?

A. G. Buchatskii^*, K. Yu. Kazachenko, and A. A. Alexandrov

Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, pl. Kurchatova, Moscow, 123182 Russia; E-mail: Alexandrov@img.ras.ru

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received October 18, 1999; Revision received February 8, 2000

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Significant identity between a hypothetical 92.3-kD human protein and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE; peptidyl-dipeptidase A; kininase II) has been found. Certain specific regions of the 92.3-kD protein indicate that this unidentified molecule may be a member of the zinc metalloprotease family. A method is suggested for determination of a structural and functional family of proteins with unknown structure and function.

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KEY WORDS: hypothetical 92.3-kD protein, angiotensin-converting enzyme, zinc metalloprotease, identity, amino acid sequence

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