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Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) 2 is a homolog of the carboxypeptidase ACE, which generates angiotensin II, the major active peptide of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Following the cloning of ACE2 in 2000, three main ACE2 functions have been described so far.<br />ACE2 is a potent negative regulator of RAS that balances multiple functions of ACE. By targeting angiotensin II, ACE2 has shown protective effects in the cardiovascular system and many other organs.<br />ACE2 was identified as the major binding receptor of the SARS-causing coronavirus, and downregulation of ACE2 in SARS played an important role in the pathogenesis of severe lung failure after viral infection.<br />Both ACE2 and its homologue Collectrin bind to amino acid transporters and play an important role in the absorption of amino acids in the kidney and intestine.