US5688640A
University of Texas System
Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a 21-residue vasoactive peptide, is produced in vascular endothelial cells from the 38-residue inactive intermediate, big endothelin-1 via a specific cleavage at Trp21-Val22. The protease that catalyzes the conversion, endothelin converting enzyme (ECE), constitutes a …