Aminopeptidase N (ANPEP or APN), also known as CD13, is a cell-surface metalloprotease located in the small-intestinal and renal microvillar membrane, as well as other plasma membranes. It belongs to the peptidase M1 family. CD13 plays a role in the final digestion of peptides generated from hydrolysis of proteins by gastric and pancreatic proteases and is involved in the metabolism of regulatory peptides by diverse cell types. CD13/APN is a potent regulator of angiogenesis which is essential for tumor invasion and metastasis, and its transcription in activated endothelial cells is induced by angiogenic growth factors via the RAS/MAPK pathway. In addition, this enzyme has been shown to participate in antigen processing and presentation, and accordingly, defects in this gene appear to be a cause of various types of leukemia or lymphoma and carcinomas.
