A Bovine Pancreatic Enzyme Catalyzing the Conversion of Proinsulin to Insulin

An enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of bovine proinsulin to insulin has been purified from a bovine pancreatic extract. The product of conversion was identified as insulin by aminoacid analysis and determination of carboxyl terminal aminoacid residues. The purified enzyme preparation showed one major protein band on polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis; it had a molecular weight of about 70,000 and an isoelectric point (pI) at a pH of 4.82.