| angiotensin-converting enzyme | <enzyme> This hydrolase enzyme cleaves the decapeptide angiotensin I (biologically inactive) to form active angiotensin II by angiotensin-converting enzyme which removes a dipeptide (histidylleucine) from angiotensin I. Angiotensin II causes contraction of vascular smooth muscle and thus raises blood pressure and stimulates aldosterone release from the adrenal glands. Angiotensin is finally broken down by angiotensinases. Elevations in angiotensin converting enzyme are seen sarcoidosis, histoplasmosis, alcoholic cirrhosis, asbestosis, berylliosis, diabetes, Hodgkin's disease, hyperthyroidism, amyloidosis, primary biliary cirrhosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary embolism, scleroderma, silicosis, tuberculosis, Gaucher's disease and leprosy. The normal values are 18 to 67 U/ml over 20 years of age (people under 20 have higher levels). Drugs that inhibit ACE are used to treat hypertension and congestive heart failure. See: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor Acronym: ACE (12 Aug 2000) |
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| angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor | <pharmacology> A class of drugs used in the treatment of hypertension and heart failure. They exert their haemodynamic effect mainly by inhibiting the renin-angiotensin system and produce a reduction of peripheral arterial resistance. They also modulate sympathetic nervous system activity and increase prostaglandin synthesis. They cause mainly vasodilation and mild natriuresis without affecting heart rate and contractility. (14 Aug 2000) |
| angiotensin-converting enzyme secretase | <enzyme> Converts ace from a membrane-bound to a soluble form; not inhibited by thiol, serine or acid enzyme inhibitor but is inhibited by edta and 1,10-phenanthroline Registry number: EC 3.4.99.- Synonym: ace secretase (26 Jun 1999) |
| vasopressin-converting aminopeptidase | <enzyme> Activity found in brain which converts vasopressin into centrally active metabolites Registry number: EC 3.4.11.- Synonym: vp-c aminopeptidase (26 Jun 1999) |
| dynorphin-converting endopeptidase | <enzyme> Enzyme from human cerebrospinal fluid; cleaves dynorphin a and b and neoendorphin at the arg(6)-arg(7) or arg(6)-lys(7) bonds Registry number: EC 3.4.21.- Synonym: dynorphin-neo-endorphin endopeptidase, dc-endopeptidase (26 Jun 1999) |
| interleukin-1 converting enzyme | <biochemistry> Cytoplasmic cysteine protease that is uniquely responsible for cleaving proIL-1_ (31 or 33 kD) into mature IL-1_ (17.5 kD), the active cytokine is then released by a nonstandard mechanism (there is no signal sequence and it does not pass through the Golgi). The enzyme seems to be composed of two nonidentical subunits derived from a single proenzyme. The ICE gene has some homology with the ced 9 gene of C. Elegans, the product of which is involved in mediating cell death by apoptosis. (11 Mar 1998) |
| urokinase-converting protease | <enzyme> Degrades synthetic urokinase substrates and stimulates urokinase Registry number: EC 3.4.21.- Synonym: urokinase cofactor (26 Jun 1999) |
| b phage | b corynebacteriophage |
| virulent phage mutant | A mutant of a phage that is unable to establish lysogeny. (05 Mar 2000) |
| charon phage | A cloning vector made from the virus bacteriophage lambda that is used to clone DNA. (09 Oct 1997) |
| phage | 1. Synonym for bacteriophage. 2. <suffix> Eating, devouring. Origin: L. Phagedaena, Gr Phago, To eat. (20 Jun 2000) |
| phage integrase family | <enzyme> Enzymes that mediate site specific recombination in prokaryotes. They fall into two families, phage integrases and resolvases. (18 Nov 1997) |
| phage typing | <microbiology> Bacteria may be typed by their susceptibility to a range of bacteriophages though confusion may arise if the bacteria carry plasmids encoding restriction endonucleases. (18 Nov 1997) |
| helper phage | A virus which helps a separate and unrelated defective virus reproduce by infecting the same host cell that is already occupied by the defective virus and providing the proteins which the defective virus is missing and needs to complete its life cycle. (09 Oct 1997) |
| ssDNA phage | <molecular biology> Single strand DNA phages such as MS2, FX174, as opposed to double stranded DNA phages or RNA phages. (10 Mar 1998) |