Heterogeneity of human pepsin 1, as shown by high-performance ion-exchange chromatography

We have shown that pepsin 1 can be prepared in milligram quantities from human gastric juice by semi-preparative high-performance ion-exchange chromatography. Further investigation into the elution of this enzyme using linear chloride gradients have shown it to be a heterogeneous mixture, the components of which all have peptic activity, but differing specific activities. These components are changed in number and retention time by incubation with hyaluronidase and aryl sulphatase, but not by neuraminidase or acid phosphatase, implying the presence of a sulphated proteoglycan.