Novel Mass Spectrometric Methods for Evaluation of Plasma Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 1 and Renin Activity

Abstract
This article demonstrates the applicability of quantitative proteomics to assays of proteolytic enzyme activity. A novel assay was developed for measurement of renin and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity in plasma. The method was validated in animal models associated with alterations of the renin angiotensin system (RAS). Using surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) with a ProteinChip Array technology, plasma renin and ACE1 could be measured in 2-fold in AT1a −/− as compared with AT1a +/+ . In STZ diabetic mice, ACE1 was increased 2-fold as compared with controls. The advantage of the method is that it is tagless, does not require additional purification steps, and is extremely sensitive. The approach can be multiplexed and used for identification of novel substrates/inhibitors of the RAS.