Conversion of big endothelin isopeptides to mature endothelin isopeptides by cultured bovine endothelial cells

Both the soluble and membrane fractions prepared from cultured bovine endothelial cells (ECs) possessed the converting activities to metabolize big endothelin-1 (big ET-1) to endothelin-1 (ET-1) at neutral pH. Metal chelators inhibited the activities of both fractions, whereas phosphoramidon, a metalloprotease inhibitor, strongly inhibited only the activity of the membrane fraction. Phosphoramidon reduced the secretion of ET-1 and concomitantly enhanced the release of big ET-1 from cultured ECs. The incubations of big ET-1, big ET-2, and big ET-3 with cultured ECs resulted in their conversions to mature ETs. Phosphoramidon also abolished these conversions. These results indicate that vascular endothelium can convert not only endogenous big ET-1 but also exogenous big ET isopeptides to their mature ETs through a phosphoramidon-sensitive neutral metalloprotease.