Separation of dog brain renin-like activity from acid protease activity.

A renin-like enzyme and acid protease (cathepsin) from whole and saline-pefused dog brains were separated by CM-cellulose chromatography with a linear NaCl gradient. Plasma renin and cathepsin were also separated using the same system. During the separation steps (in all the above cases) the specific activity of the brain renin-like enzyme was increased, while the specific activity of the brain cathepsin was decreased. Approximately a 70-fold increase in the specific activity of brain renin-like enzyme and a sixfold decrease in brain cathepsin specific activity was obtained from saline-perfused brain. The separation made it possible to study the pH optimum of the brain renin-like enzyme and acid protease. The brain renin-like enzyme showed optimal activity in the range of pH 6-7. Immunologically, the renin-like enzyme was distinctly different from dog kidney renin.