Obtenção, caractetizações estruturais e atividade enzimática do sítio C-catalítico da enzima conversora de angiotensina I - região ALA959 até SER1066

Abstract

The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) catalyzes the conversion of angiotensin I (Ang I) to the vasoconstrictor angiotensin II (Ang II) and the hydrolysis of bradykinin (BK). Human somatic ACE (sACE) has two homologous domains (N and C) that show 60% identity. Although these two regions have high homology, the catalytic site of the C-domain exhibits three times more activity than that of the N-domain in the hydrolysis of Ang I in vivo. This fact necessitates the development of new inhibitors or the improvement of existing ones. This study aimed to obtain the Ala 959 to Ser 1066 catalytic region of C-domain of sACE (c-sACE) in a structural conformation that resembles the native structure. We amplified the 324-bp sequence corresponding to the catalytic site of c-sACE and cloned this sequence into a pET28a(+) vector. The segment (named pET28_c-sACE) was expressed in a bacterial system. The expressed protein segment was soluble, and its purification was performed in one step using a His-tag affinity column. Structural analysis by circular dichroism and fluorescence confirmed that the purified protein is correctly folded, and an activity assay showed that c-sACE possesses enzymatic activity and is inhibited by lisinopril.