Peptide processing in the central nervous system

1. A thiol proteinase from human pituitaries was purified approximately 400 fold and shown to have different chromatographic properties from that of calf brain. Among substrates cleaved were myelin basic protein, histones, beta-lipotropin, neurophysin, and Substance P. 2. The enzyme showed properties associated with a cathepsin-B like enzyme: dependence on -SH groups, pH optimum of 6.5, inhibition by leupeptin and a synthetic analog, Boc-D-Phe-Pro-arginal, and cleavage of dipeptidyl arylamides with basic residues adjacent to or penultimate to the chromatographic grouping. 3. Membranes present in the P2 fraction of rat brain contained three or more enkephalinases when submitted to DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Further purification on an IgG-Sepharose affinity column prepared with antibody to lung angiotensin converting enzyme indicated the presence of dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase(s) with properties distinct from those of ACE. In addition, the DEAE-cellulose fractions contained various aminopeptidase activities when tested with Leu-Gly-Gly, Leu-Nap, and Ala-Ala-Nap as substrates.