FIGURE 1.

Bradykinin formation and degradation. Panel A. Bradykinin (in red lettering) is a 9 amino acid peptide in kininogens. This panel shows where plasma kallikrein (PKa) cleaves kininogen (HK) to liberate bradykinin (BK). The peptidases (kininases) that degrade BK are shown as abbreviations below the red sequence of BK. The peptide bond that each of these kininases cleave are indicated by the thick small arrows. The full name of the abbreviated kininases is shown in Panel C. The BK breakdown products from the various kininases are delineated in red above the sequence of bradykinin. Panel B lists the many human serine and cysteine plasma and tissue proteases that cleave kininogens to liberation BK. Panel C presents the full name and alias of 13 plasma and membrane kininases. The BK degradation peptides produced by these kininases are shown in the table