Carnosine-cleaving Enzyme

Carnosine-cleaving enzymes primarily catalyze the breakdown of carnosine, facilitating its conversion into beta-alanine and histidine. This process is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis and regulating the levels of these amino acids in tissues. The main family members include carnosinase 1 (CN1) (CNDP1) and carnosinase 2 (CN2) (CNDP2). CN1 is found in serum and brain tissue and specifically degrades both carnosine and homocarnosine, while CN2 is a cytosolic enzyme with broader substrate specificity but does not hydrolyze homocarnosine^[1].
br/> Alterations of serum CN1 activity and dyshomeostasis of the main carnosinase substrate (carnosine) is associated with several pathological conditions, such as neurological disorders, chronic diseases and cancer. The dyshomeostasis of carnosinase expression and activity cause several physiological dysfunctions and diseases, such as diabetes, ischemia, neurological diseases, wound healing, ocular diseases, etc^[1].