Mapping the active site of endothelin-converting enzyme-1 through subsite specificity and mutagenesis studies: a comparison with neprilysin.

Endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1) is a membrane-bound zinc metallopeptidase that is homologous to neprilysin in amino acid sequence. A major in vivo function of ECE-1 is the generation of endothelin-1, a potent vasoconstrictor, from big endothelin-1. ECE-1 is also potentially involved in the processing or degradation of other peptide hormones.