Down-regulation of aortic carboxypeptidase-like protein during the early phase of 3T3-L1 adipogenesis.

Aortic carboxypeptidase-like protein (ACLP) is a 175-kDa protein that is expressed in vascular smooth muscle cells and contains a signal peptide sequence, a lysine- and proline-rich repeating motif, a discoidin-like domain with 35% identity to discoidin I, and a carboxypeptidase-like domain that is 39% identical with carboxypeptidase E. It is secreted into the extracellular matrix and may play a role in abdominal wall development and dermal wound healing. ACLP is also expressed in adipose tissue, but at lower levels.