The purification of a high-molecular-weight, enzymatically inactive renin precursor from human kidney

A high-molecular-weight enzymatically inactive form of renin has been purified to homogeneity from human kidney. It has an Mr of 48 000 as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate and an Mr of 51 000 by gel filtration on Sephadex G100. It is activated by treatment with trypsin and reversibly activated by exposure to acid. We conclude that this material represents a human prorenin.