Angiotensin converting enzyme

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) is well known for its dual actions to convert inactive Ang I to active Ang II, and degrades active bradykinin (BK), which plays an important role in controlling blood pressure. Because it is the bottleneck step for the production of pressor Ang II, it was targeted pharmacologically in the 1970s. Successful ACE inhibitors such as captopril were produced to treat hypertension. Studies on domain-specific ACE inhibitors are continuing to produce effective hypertension-controlling drugs with fewer side effects. ACE2 was discovered in 2000 and it converts Ang II into Ang(1–7), thereby reducing the concentration of Ang II as well as increasing that of Ang(1–7), an important enzyme for Ang(1–7)/Mas receptor signaling. ACE2 also acts as the receptor in the lung for the coronavirus, causing the infamous severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003.