Carboxypeptidase N is a plasma metallo-protease that cleaves basic amino acids from the C terminal of peptides and proteins. The enzyme is important in the regulation of peptides like kinins and anaphylatoxins, and has also been known as kininase-1 and anaphylatoxin inactivator.
This enzyme is a tetramer composed of two identical regulatory subunits and two identical catalytic subunits; this gene encodes the catalytic subunit. Mutations in this gene can be associated with angioedema or chronic urticaria resulting from carboxypeptidase N deficiency.The predicted protein is 458 amino acids long. Carboxypeptidase N is a 280-kD tetrameric complex consisting of 2 identical 83-kD regulatory subunits and 2 identical 50-kD catalytic subunits.