Efficient Production of Recombinant Human (Pro)renin Utilizing a Decahistidine Tag Attached at the C-Terminus

Abstract

Human prorenin attached by a decahistidine tag at the C-terminus was produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The tagged protein secreted into the culture medium was in the inactive prorenin form, and was activated to mature renin by proteolytic removal of its prosegment by trypsin in the same manner as native prorenin. The tagged (pro)renin was efficiently purified by metal-chelate affinity chromatography. The enzymatic properties of mature renin carrying the tag were similar to native renin. These results indicate that the introduction of a decahistidine tag at the C-terminus does not interfere with either the correct folding of prorenin or the catalytic activity of mature renin.