Skip to main content

Determining the Enzymatic Activity of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) in Brain Tissue and Cerebrospinal Fluid Using a Quenched Fluorescent Substrate

  • Protocol
  • First Online:
Book cover Hypertension

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 1527))

Abstract

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a component of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) which plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure and volume homeostasis. Accumulating evidence shows alterations in ACE2 expression and activity in several hypertensive animal models, as well as in patients with hypertension. In order to assess the role of brain ACE2 in hypertension, a specific ACE2 assay is required. Based on a quenched fluorescent substrate, we describe an easy-to-use method for determining ACE2 activity in brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid. The method can further be adapted for other tissues, plasma, cell extracts, and cell culture supernatants.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Xia H, Lazartigues E (2010) Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2: central regulator for cardiovascular function. Curr Hypertens Rep 12:170–175

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Xu P, Sriramula S, Lazartigues E (2011) ACE2/ANG-(1-7)/Mas pathway in the brain: the axis of good. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 300:R804–R817

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Vickers C, Hales P, Kaushik V, Dick L, Gavin J et al (2002) Hydrolysis of biological peptides by human angiotensin-converting enzyme-related carboxypeptidase. J Biol Chem 277:14838–14843

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Tipnis SR, Hooper NM, Hyde R, Karran E, Christie G et al (2000) A human homolog of angiotensin-converting enzyme. Cloning and functional expression as a captopril-insensitive carboxypeptidase. J Biol Chem 275:33238–33243

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Doobay MF, Talman LS, Obr TD, Tian X, Davisson RL et al (2007) Differential expression of neuronal ACE2 in transgenic mice with overexpression of the brain renin-angiotensin system. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 292:R373–R381

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Warner FJ, Lew RA, Smith AI, Lambert DW, Hooper NM et al (2005) Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), but not ACE, is preferentially localized to the apical surface of polarized kidney cells. J Biol Chem 280:39353–39362

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Lambert DW, Yarski M, Warner FJ, Thornhill P, Parkin ET et al (2005) Tumor necrosis factor-alpha convertase (ADAM17) mediates regulated ectodomain shedding of the severe-acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV) receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2). J Biol Chem 280:30113–30119

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Epelman S, Tang WH, Chen SY, Van Lente F, Francis GS et al (2008) Detection of soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in heart failure: insights into the endogenous counter-regulatory pathway of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. J Am Coll Cardiol 52:750–754

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Kawajiri M, Mogi M, Higaki N, Matsuoka T, Ohyagi Y et al (2009) Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and ACE2 levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler 15:262–265

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Pedersen KB, Sriramula S, Chhabra KH, Xia H, Lazartigues E (2011) Species-specific inhibitor sensitivity of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and its implication for ACE2 activity assays. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 301:R1293–R1299

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Sriramula S, Cardinale JP, Lazartigues E, Francis J (2011) ACE2 overexpression in the paraventricular nucleus attenuates angiotensin II-induced hypertension. Cardiovasc Res 92:401–408

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Wysocki J, Ye M, Soler MJ, Gurley SB, Xiao HD et al (2006) ACE and ACE2 activity in diabetic mice. Diabetes 55:2132–2139

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Ferrario CM, Jessup J, Chappell MC, Averill DB, Brosnihan KB et al (2005) Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition and angiotensin II receptor blockers on cardiac angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. Circulation 111:2605–2610

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Poglitsch M, Domenig O, Schwager C, Stranner S, Peball B et al (2012) Recombinant expression and characterization of human and murine ACE2: species-specific activation of the alternative renin-angiotensin-system. Int J Hypertens 2012:428950

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Enari M, Talanian RV, Wong WW, Nagata S (1996) Sequential activation of ICE-like and CPP32-like proteases during Fas-mediated apoptosis. Nature 380:723–726

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Douglas GC, O'Bryan MK, Hedger MP, Lee DK, Yarski MA et al (2004) The novel angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) homolog, ACE2, is selectively expressed by adult Leydig cells of the testis. Endocrinology 145:4703–4711

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Huang L, Sexton DJ, Skogerson K, Devlin M, Smith R et al (2003) Novel peptide inhibitors of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. J Biol Chem 278:15532–15540

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Feng Y, Xia H, Cai Y, Halabi CM, Becker LK et al (2010) Brain-selective overexpression of human Angiotensin-converting enzyme type 2 attenuates neurogenic hypertension. Circ Res 106:373–382

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Zapata A, Chefer VI, Shippenberg TS (2009) Microdialysis in rodents. Curr Protoc Neurosci Chapter 7:Unit 7.2

    Google Scholar 

  20. Huentelman MJ, Zubcevic J, Katovich MJ, Raizada MK (2004) Cloning and characterization of a secreted form of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. Regul Pept 122:61–67

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by research grants from the American Heart Association (Established Investigator Award: 12EIA8030004) and National Institutes of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences (8 P20 GM103514-10), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (DK084466), and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL093178) to Dr. Eric Lazartigues.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eric Lazartigues .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media LLC

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

Sriramula, S., Pedersen, K.B., Xia, H., Lazartigues, E. (2017). Determining the Enzymatic Activity of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) in Brain Tissue and Cerebrospinal Fluid Using a Quenched Fluorescent Substrate. In: Touyz, R., Schiffrin, E. (eds) Hypertension. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 1527. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6625-7_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-6625-7_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-6623-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-6625-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics