Transcription regulatory networks in Caenorhabditis elegans

Gene

Public Gene Name

nep-1  

Sequence Name

ZK20.6  

WB ID

WBGene00013926  

Description

ZK20.6 encodes a neprilysin; neprilysins are thermolysin-like zinc metallopeptidases, found on the outer surface of animal cells, that negatively regulate small signalling peptides (e.g., enkephalin, tachykinin, insulin, and natriuretic peptides) by cleaving them; ZK20.6 is closely paralogous to F18A12.8, and orthologous to CG9761 in Drosophila melanogaster; more generally, ZK20.6 falls into a group of proteins that includes the classical neprilysins found in mammals (e.g., PEX [OMIM:307800] and the enkephalin cleaving enzymes).