Summary
Urokinase was highly purified by electrophoretical and immunological methods starting
with a commercial urokinase preparation (UK-Leo). Contaminating serum proteins and
enzyme activities migrated into opposite directions in agar gel electrophoresis which
proved to be a valuable preparative method. The final purification achieved was 80,000
Ploug units/mg protein. Traces of albumin, α2 HS-glycoprotein and α2-macroglobulin migrated towards the cathode together with UK in a multimolecular complex.
Urokinase antibodies (rabbit) gave with the cathodic fraction 2 precipitation lines
(Ouchterlony technique): the one precipitation line corresponded to urokinase (molecular
weight on gel chromatography 32,000 daltons), the other corresponded to UK complexed
with serum proteins. Urokinase antibodies completely suppressed UK activity in various
commercial preparations. All these preparations showed immunological identity; on
disc electrophoresis pure urokinase (32,000 daltons, 80,000 Ploug units/mg protein)
still gave 2-3 bands suggesting the presence of isoenzymes.
This paper is dedicated to Professor G. Schettler on behalf of his 60th birthday