Wallis MG, Lankford MF, Keller SR. Vasopressin is a physiological substrate for the insulin-regulated aminopeptidase IRAP. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 293: E1092-E1102, 2007. First published August 7, 2007; doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00440.2007.-Insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) is a membrane aminopeptidase and is homologous to the placental leucine aminopeptidase, P-LAP. IRAP has a wide distribution but has been best characterized in adipocytes and myocytes. In these cells, IRAP colocalizes with the glucose transporter GLUT4 to intracellular vesicles and, like GLUT4, translocates from these vesicles to the cell surface in response to insulin. Earlier studies demonstrated that purified IRAP cleaves several peptide hormones and that, concomitant with the appearance of IRAP at the surface of insulin-stimulated adipocytes, aminopeptidase activity toward extracellular substrates increases. In the present study, to identify in vivo substrates for IRAP, we tested potential substrates for cleavage by IRAP-deficient (IRAP Ϫ/Ϫ ) and control mice. We found that vasopressin and oxytocin were not processed from the NH2 terminus by isolated IRAP Ϫ/Ϫ adipocytes and skeletal muscles. Vasopressin was not cleaved from the NH2 terminus after injection into IRAP Ϫ/Ϫ mice and exhibited a threefold increased half-life in the circulation of IRAP Ϫ/Ϫ mice. Consistent with this finding, endogenous plasma vasopressin levels were elevated twofold in IRAP Ϫ/Ϫ mice, and vasopressin levels in IRAP Ϫ/Ϫ brains, where plasma vasopressin originates, showed a compensatory decrease. We further established that insulin increased the clearance of vasopressin from control but not from IRAP Ϫ/Ϫ mice. In conclusion, we have identified vasopressin as the first physiological substrate for IRAP. Changes in plasma and brain vasopressin levels in IRAP Ϫ/Ϫ mice suggest a significant role for IRAP in regulating vasopressin. We have also uncovered a novel IRAP-dependent insulin effect: to acutely modify vasopressin.peptide hormone cleavage; insulin-regulated aminopeptidase-deficient mice; insulin action THE INSULIN-REGULATED AMINOPEPTIDASE (IRAP) is a member of the family of zinc-dependent membrane aminopeptidases and is the homologue of the human placental leucine aminopeptidase (P-LAP) (16). IRAP has a wide tissue distribution (18, 34) but in each of the tissues is expressed only in specific cell types (28). In all cells so far examined, IRAP is found in an intracellular location and is recruited to the cell surface in response to different stimuli (reviewed in Ref. 16). The subcellular localization of IRAP and regulation thereof have been best characterized in adipocytes and muscle cells (reviewed in Ref. 16). In these cells, under basal conditions, IRAP is sequestered within intracellular vesicles that also harbor the insulin-responsive glucose transporter GLUT4. In response to insulin, IRAP, like GLUT4, translocates from the intracellular vesicles to the cell surface. In adipocytes, this results in a 6-to 8-and 10-to 20-fold increase of IRAP and GLUT4, ...