[Kininogenase activity of cathepsins D]

The kininogenase activity of highly purified preparations of cathepsins D from human liver and spleen, leukemic infiltrate obtained from patients with myeloic leukemia, and from chicken liver was studied. It was found that pepstatin, a specific inhibitor of carboxylic proteinases, inhibits this activity of cathepsins D. Interaction of chicken liver cathepsin D with human plasma substrate, which is possibly a low molecular weight kininogen (Ks = 1.3.10(-7) M) results in a production of the bradikinin analog methionyl-lysyl-bradikinin. The role of cathepsins D as potent inflammatory agents responsible for the generation of biologically active peptides--mediators of inflammation from the protein substrates including kininogens under desintegration of lysosomes is discussed.