A new form of inactive renin in rat brain. A latent renin

A new inactive (latent) form of renin was found in rat brain extract. It is activated by sulfhydryl compounds such as dithiothreitol but not by proteases such as trypsin. The activated form of latent renin in crude brain extract was again inactivated by the disulfide compound sodium tetrathionate. Latent renin was separated, at least partially, from active renin by affinity chromatography on Affi-Gel Blue. In contrast to a marked (10-fold) increase of latent renin by dithiothreitol, the enzyme activity of active renin was increased by less than 50% by this sulfhydryl compound. Thus, the major part of the activating effect of dithiothreitol does not seem to be due to its effect on renin substrate. Latent renin showed affinity for pepstatin-Sepharose gel. These properties indicate that latent renin is different from inactive renin of the zymogen type, which is activated by protease or acid treatment but not by sulfhydryl compounds and does not show affinity to pepstatin. Latent renin has a molecular weight of 45,000 and is reduced to 34,000 upon activation by dithiothreitol. This observation suggests that latent renin may be a renin-inhibitor complex.